Battlefield 2183
by GreaterGoodIreland
Summary: The mass effect ended the last world war amid a new ice age, bringing a new dawn to humanity. The turians were humbled and the batarians crushed. With our place firmly secured by acts of military audacity, Shepard's discovery on Eden Prime leads to the revelation of the ultimate enemy and the destiny of humanity itself. - Mass Effect with the background of Battlefield 2142 - HFY -
1. Prologue

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD:_  
_Hello ladies and gents. I've always wanted to write an "Humanity Fuck Yeah!" type story, and so here it is! Mass Effect being the perfect setting, but humanity not being the perfect species for this story, I have opted to include a different backstory for us; the setting of Battlefield 2142._

_FIRST TIME READERS:  
If you are unfamiliar with the game, I suggest you search Battlefield 2142 on Youtube, particularly the following: Battlefield 2142 Launch Trailer, Battlefield 2142 Titan Trailer, and Battlefield 2142 Northern Strike Trailer 3.  
_

_It is also recommended that you read the Torfan chapters of my Battlefield: Wars of the Systems Alliance story, as it goes into much greater detail about what happened on Torfan and its aftermath._

_The plan for the entire series is at the bottom. _

_REVIEWS MAKE ME WRITE MORE QUICKLY._

_Hope this prologue story and timeline whets your appetite for the real meat to come later!_

* * *

**_The 22nd Century was to be a golden age. First came the ice. It spread everywhere. Nations fought over the last remaining land. There was chaos and fear. The battle for Earth raged and suddenly, the war was over. The enemy defeated, the stars themselves opened up for us to take. But we were no longer alone._**

****Torfan, 2178  
****

Shepard hurt all over. Her armour was cracked in a dozen places, and smeared with blood not her own. Fatigue threaded through her very bones. She had been awake almost twenty hours, and she felt every minute of it. A freezing cold wind in the morning air made it worse. She felt like collapsing.

The others had already been claimed. Around her lay corpses. Her entire squad. The biotics from the Army that had been assigned with them. Several liberated slaves who had joined them. All had given their lives so the entrance to the bunker complex could be cleared of slavers and their handlers from the Hegemony. Now, with the doors shattered and the enemy broken, only one human being remained standing.

It had gotten easier to kill with every loss. When they lost Corporal Delgado in the batarian camp a couple of hours before to a booby trapped cell door, Shepard had ordered the place bombed out of spite. With that done with, the next task was the entrance to the underground. The only way was an all-out attack. Major Kyle had been knocked out early, and his biotic subordinates were drawn into a crossfire when they charged to avenge him. Shepard's own team had been cut down trying to stop it. Alone, she infiltrated the enemy position and killed them all. By rifle and by omniblade, she had walked among the batarians like the Angel of Death, claiming their lives in return for those already sacrificed.

As Shepard stood among the mixed dead, a terrible guilt gripped her heart like a vice. These people had followed her and died. And for what? A hole in the ground. She had committed a terrible crime. She had promised that they would all return home as heroes. She had not lied, but not told the truth either. She asked herself why. Why had she been so determined to risk the lives of these young men and women? She couldn't remember.

Her attention changed from the dozens of bodies around her as rumbling and thudding noises approached.

Assault walkers and APCs moved in tidy formations towards her. The main force had landed, as planned and safely thanks to Shepard's own actions, ready to take on the task of clearing the enemy hive. They took up positions, covering the archway.

Atop the lead walker, a large flag flew, flowing in the air. A black flag with the Earth in the middle. The blue of its oceans, the white of the ice that had almost choked civilisation to death, the green and yellow of its forests and deserts, the grey of its megacities. Humanity's mother in all her glory.

Shepard remembered. Major Kyle, Delgado and the others, they had given up their lives so others could live. The batarians had kidnapped, enslaved and killed the children of Earth. It was a mistake they had to pay for, and pay for it they would. Her grip on her weapon tightened. The lieutenant's guilt and numbness turned to the impulse to kill once more. She composed herself quickly, suppressing her emotions as best she could.

An officer climbed out of an APC and walked towards her. Shepard stood to attention and saluted in a parade-perfect manoeuvre. Stepping gingerly over the dead, the man approached.

"Colonel Folkesson, with the 13th," he said, returning her salute, "Report, lieutenant."

"Objectives accomplished," Shepard said, "I'm the only one left, sir."

"...I can see that," he replied, glancing at the bodies for the second time, "Your recommendation as N7?"

"Kill them all, sir," she said firmly, "Send a message to the rest of the galaxy that humanity will defend its people and those that attack us will die with certainty."

The colonel nodded slowly.

"Very well, lieutenant, you are relieved."

"With respect sir, I will keep fighting," Shepard replied, "The mission isn't done yet."

The colonel examined her more closely, and said something into his comms. A squad of troops jogged up.

"Sergeant, this is Lieutenant Shepard, an N7," he said to the soldier in front, "You will escort her as she clears the bunker, is that clear?"

"Crystal, sir."

The colonel turned back to Shepard now, a stoney look on his face.

"Good luck."

Shepard saluted once more, and turned around. She promised to have a drink for those that had died and would die, but for now, the batarians were waiting in their hole. She would oblige them.

* * *

Timeline:

**Pre-War**

**2103**:

The European Union founds Lowell City near the Martian South Pole, the first permanent human settlement on Mars. The achievement is feted as a triumph of European engineering, and threatens to trigger a space race between the European Union-African Union bloc and the massive Pan-Asian Coalition. The US plans further afield, investigating Jupiter's moon "Europa" for possible colonisation.

**2105**:

Arctic and Antarctic summer ice begins a stunning reversal of 21st Century norms, extending to the Eurasian and Canadian mainlands for the first time in fifty years. The discovery and development of fusion technology is celebrated as having finally undone the climatic damage done during the 20th and 21st centuries.

**2100s**:

Technological progress in all areas continues at pace, with anti-gravity technology based on controlled air pockets and plasma weaponry being developed in the Pan-Asian Coalition. US espionage places most of the advances in the hands of the Western powers.

**2112**:

The winter of this year is particularly harsh. The North Sea and the Baltic Sea freeze. Huge glacial flows stretch far into Russia, China, Korea and Japan. Canada nearly disappears under the ice, but its major urban centres are untouched. Populations further north than Moscow are displaced southwards for a number of years.

First anti-gravity aerial assault craft, or Titan, is launched by the PAC, soon followed by European and American projects.

**2119**:

The first year of permanent glacial flows. Emergency session of the United Nations hears evidence that the Earth is entering a new Ice Age. Evidence points to variance in solar output as cause. Treaties of mutual assistance are signed.

**2123**:

Pan-Asian Coalition begins to feel the effects of population movement and loss of huge amounts of agricultural land and resources. Unrest begins, measures put in place to insure order, elections permanently suspended. European Union and United States condemn the Pan-Asian Coalition, but refrains from economic sanctions due to fragility of global economy.

The European Union and Union of African States sign formal military and economic alliance treaty.

**2120s**:

Ice continues to extend further southward each year. Huge areas of Russia and Canada permanently under ice by decade's end.

Space colonisation efforts by the PAC cease as resources are strained, but existing settlements on Mars are maintained.

Assault walkers are field tested.

**2134**:

Titan deployments for humanitarian purposes save millions from starvation in the PAC, but the government of that state foresees mass starvation and economic ruin by the middle of the century without a change in circumstance. PAC begins mass military build-up along border. Europe and Africa respond in kind, concentrating their forces along the Mediterranean. The US increases its defence budget in response, leading to the same from South America and Australia.

Europe builds the three defensive lines in Northern Europe: Minsk, Brandenburg and Maginot.

Steven Hackett is born in Buenos Aires, in the South American Federation.

**2137:**

The last real effort to come to a diplomatic solution for resource distribution between the PAC and EU fails. The attempted US-brokered peace would have seen PAC military technology and resource wealth traded for food and energy technology. Both parties continue diplomatic talks beyond this point, but both use it to stall in order to complete their war preparations.

The Eldfell-Ashland Energy Corporation demonstrates helium-3 extraction from Saturn, causing a severe drop in the American stock market as helium-3 extraction from Luna is put under threat. Luna is an exclusively American holding at this time. The United States falls into a state of civil unrest as its economy is already badly affected by the climatic changes, precluding involvement in the Eurasian Crisis.

David Anderson is born in London, European Union.

**The Cold War**

**2139:**

With coordinated offensives from the Baltic to Africa, the Pan-Asian Coalition declares war on the European Union with the objective of capturing its resources and land.

The Union of African States honours its alliance with the EU and joins the fight. The PAC first strikes prioritise Africa in a conventional assault, drawing away many regular units of the European Army.

The United States' economy begins to recover quickly as European firms and government contracts pour into the country to fill war logistics demands, allowing Washington the time to solve some of its internal problems.

Kahlee Sanders is born in the Texan Megapolis, United States of America.

**November 2139: Minsk**

Operation Canute: Three battalions led by General Arkadi Petrov attack Minsk, the EU's command centre for the Minsk Defensive Line. First deployment of the militarised Titan in live combat operations, changing the nature of human warfare forever. Defence and destruction of titans becomes basis for military strategy during the war.

**2140: Breaking the European Lines**

PAC offensives concentrate on the Balkans primarily, as the region has yet to feel the full brunt of the new ice age. PAC divisions trap EU forces in the region in Belgrade in February. Despite a spirited defence by the EU 9th Armoured Corps lead by General Emil Nikoli, Belgrade falls in March.

The PAC attacks the Brandenburg Line in force. By July, PAC gunships have air superiority over the battlefield, and PAC Titans drop entire regiments behind Berlin. In August, the PAC offensive against Berlin begins, and the city falls two months later. Remaining EU forces retreat to France to make a stand while populations and industrial base is evacuated to Africa.

**2141: Verdun &amp; America  
**

The PAC control much of Europe, but the ice advanced to its furthest point recorded, rendering almost all of the land useless. The Mediterranean remains firmly in EU hands.

The next PAC offensive quickly bogs down at the Maginot line at Verdun. Caught between huge iceflows and the European defences, the PAC walkers and tanks found the attack impossible to sustain. EU tank formations using the less-sophisticated but reliable A-8 Tiger were well able to match the Nekomata hovertanks fielded by the PAC. The EU uses infiltration tactics to destroy PAC titans.

The South American Federation, seeing the other major powers distracted by war, declares its own war on Mexico. Mexican forces defend their borders valiantly, and contrary to the hopes of the SAF, the United States declares war immediately, unable to tolerate the possibility of another world power directly on its doorstep. US Titans deploy to the front, against which the SAF deploys anti-Titan missiles.

By the end of 2141, the PAC copies European anti-titan tactics and Verdun falls, but the EU's strategic objective has been achieved; populations and industry have been moved to Africa. The US and Mexico holds off the SAF, but can make no progress to halt the enemy as their military had not been at high readiness when war broke out.

**2142: The Fall of Europe &amp; The Venezuela Offensive  
**

With Verdun in PAC hands, the offensive swept through France and into Spain.

Cerbere in southern France stands as a stronghold temporarily until the intervention of PAC General Yuri Vladormirovic. Commando units using advanced optical camouflage technology breach the port's defences, but the EU leaves its crack infantry unit, the Hell Brigade, behind to defend the port. The Cerbere Landing establishes itself as the most costly battle of the Cold War.

US Titan forces attack Venezuela en masse, taking heavy casualties but successfully establishing a beachhead. The region is one of the SAF's industrial centres, and they retaliate with a general offensive on all fronts to draw away the Americans from the sector by the year's end.

The assault on Africa begins soon after with the PAC attacking Camp Gibraltar in Morocco. In May, the PAC strikes at the Suez Canal with large scale Titan forces. The EU responds in kind with their own Titan forces, and a campaign of attrition begins. Raids on Tunis and elsewhere fail to stop European and African reinforcements.

**2143: **

Mass migrations, diminishing food supplies and extremely insufficient energy generation ravage the PAC's population. With the political situation becoming increasingly desperate, PAC military forces turn their attention to the EU agricultural city project at Shuhia Tabia. Both sides deploy a dozen Titans, and the fighting over the city lasts a year, after which only two Titans are left. The region will become known as the Titan graveyard.

A similar offensive to capture the huge energy plants at Sidi fails after only two months, as PAC Titans divert to capture Shuhia Tabia or are reserved for logistics roles.

The US are repelled from Venezuela, but not before destroying the facilities there, including the SAF's Titan project factories. Furthermore, a joint US-Mexican offensive takes Panama and the path into Columbia. The entire north of the SAF is under threat.

On Mars, the European Union manages to land specialised military equipment, and attempts to bombard PAC settlements from space without success. The colonists in Lowell City begin training, and the first military unit founded on an offworld colony is raised: the European 1st Martian Armoured Regiment. Given the huge distances and harsh terrain, the government is reluctant to use its military forces aggressively until the right moment.

**2144:** **Stalemate and Prothean Ruins**

The EU repulses the PAC from Africa, and launches limited offensives eastwards from its holdings. A successful raid on a Titan facility in Karkand leaves PAC Titan production crippled. The Europeans prepare to take back their homeland.

US and Mexican forces sweep into Columbia, Peru and Chile as the Titans lead the way. The success of the attack draws the attention of Brazil, which intervenes in order to preserve the balance of power that has reigned in the Western hemisphere for nearly a century. Brazilian reinforcements push US forces back from Chile and Peru, and the first and only Titan battle between the US and Brazil occurs over Lima in September. The Brazilians copy EU and PAC tactics, using missiles to overwhelm the defences of the enemy titans and then infiltrating them to destroy their reactor cores.

The European Union orders its Martian colonies to use its newly raised military force to finally attack PAC settlements on Mars. The Martian 1st Armoured leaves Lowell City on the months-long journey to Vladivostok-on-Mars. The armoured column runs into something entirely unexpected after a modified rover falls into a large pit.

Inside the pit are the ruins of an alien outpost, complete with a cache of technology and a new material: element zero. The offensive against the PAC colonies is called off as the scientists in Lowell City examine the technology and information. News of the discovery is suppressed.

**2145: Endgame**

After half a year of examination of the alien technologies found on Mars, the European Union discovers the mass effect. As its first act, it integrates the new technology with existing orbital military satellite strike capabilities.

The planned counteroffensive to retake Europe from the PAC proceeds at a blistering pace. PAC titans and anti-titan missile installations are subjected to orbital bombardment and are annihilated. EU Titan forces are able to range at will and without contest, and PAC forces are swept back. By the summer of 2145, the EU has restored the pre-war borders.

The PAC refuses to surrender, and the EU retaliates with an all out invasion of its own. They quickly capture vast swathes of territory in Asia. The PAC response is to turn to its nuclear arsenal, which has gone unused until this point out of fear of damaging valuable productive land and further lowering the global temperature. European anti-ballistic missile systems shoot the nuclear strike down before the aging missiles can reach their targets.

The European Union responds to the attempted genocide with targeted orbital kinetic strikes on major PAC government facilities. The PAC collapses into a state of anarchy, and the rump government finally gives in. It surrenders unconditionally on November 11th 2145.

The next day, the EU declares war on the SAF and Brazil, and targets Brazil's titan forces from orbit, forcing the South American allies to the negotiating table with the US and Mexico. The cost of peace is war reparations to Mexico and a demilitarised zone in Central America, as well as the resignations of all those who voted in favour of war.

**Victory to First Contact**

**2146:**

The European Union formally annexes the majority of the Pan-Asian Coalition, setting up client governments in Japan and Korea. This causes it to become the single largest state in the history of humanity. The population of the former territory of the PAC has dropped significantly due to mass migrations to other states as well as starvation and combat losses. Millions of displaced Europeans are resettled. Surviving PAC citizens are granted citizenship of the EU and receive generous subsidies. Those responsible for the start of the war are hunted down and tried for crimes against humanity.

Earth's economy begins to recover.

The advance of the arctic ice halts at last and recedes slightly.

**2148: **

The European Space Agency ship _Ariane_ makes the first manned FTL flight between Mars and Luna. The ESA begins a worldwide recruitment campaign for the best pilots and astronauts.

The United States demands full payment of the massive European war debt, hoping to gain FTL technology. The European Union refuses, stating that it would pay its debts as agreed previously and that its new technologies were not for sale. The US begins serious diplomatic efforts to rally the rest of the world against Europe for its position, calling the hoarding of the technology to be selfish and without regard for the cause of humanity.

The European Union accepts Canada as a member state, allowing millions of Canadian refugees to enter Europe as citizens from the massive refugee camps in the United States.

**2149:**

The secret of European advances in technology is leaked, and the human race learns that it is not the sole sentient species in the universe. Demands from other worlds powers to share the technology gleaned from the Prothean Archives on Mars are met with military brinkmanship from the EU.

Production of mass effect technologies explodes, with everything from small-arms to spaceships being constructed by European state-firms. Petitions to open the technology to private firms are shot down in the European Parliament, which wishes to insure European military superiority before allowing civilian applications.

The Charon Mass Relay is discovered. The American test-pilot Jon Grissom is the first man to leave the Sol System, travelling by mass relay to the Arcturus system on board the European Space Agency ship _Ragnarok_.

**2150:**

The European Union gives in to massive international pressure from friends and rivals alike, and forms the Systems Alliance, a political and military compact for the exploitation of space by humanity. As the largest polity on Earth, the EU dominates the alliance along with the US. Two military wings are formed, the Navy made up of the European fleets under unified political control, and the Army, made up of modernised military forces from all member nations.

Arctic ice recedes partially, releasing parts of Canada, Britain, Ireland and Europe from the glaciers. Mass effect technology is released to the private sector, leading to a boom period of population growth and economic development.

The Systems Alliance begins its first surveys of other systems for habitable planets. Demeter and Eden Prime are among the first to be discovered.

Miranda Lawson is born in Werrington Downs, Australia.

**2151:**

The Systems Alliance accelerates the original European fleet construction programme in anticipation of first contact with extraterrestrials, as well as for the colonisation of space. Ships of all classes as well as orbital-deployed Titans and assault walkers are built en masse. US, African and EU armies are equipped with mass accelerator weapons for the first time.

The first colonisation congress is held in the Palace of Versailles. The European Union cedes the entirety of its rights to the colonisation of Terra Nova to the Union of African States, in compensation of its contributions during the Cold War.

An airport accident in Singapore leads to mass exposures to element zero in dust form.

Kaiden Alenko is born in Singapore, EU-Administered Malaya.

**2154:**

Jane Shepard is born in Lorient, European Union, to Hannah Shepard, a Canadian cadet of the Systems Alliance Navy.

**2155: **

Jeff Moreau is born on Arcturus Station, the new forward naval base of the Systems Alliance.

The ten year anniversary of the end of the Cold War is held, with massive parades in Paris, Mexico City, Cape Town and Washington.

**2157:**

The First, Second and Third Fleets of the Systems Alliance are declared formally ready for combat operations. Exercises in space with the various new weapons designs are ordered as exploration continues at a rapid pace.

Jacob Taylor is born in New York State, the United States of America.

**2157: FIRST CONTACT WAR**

_The Relay 314 Incident:_

A scouting expedition from Shanxi colony attempting to open a mass relay is attacked by a turian force and destroyed. A single exploration vessel returns to Shanxi, which sends out a retaliatory flotilla. The flotilla destroys much of the alien fleet in turn, and the situation escalates. The Systems Alliance, unsure if they're fighting Protheans or some other alien species, they rally the military-grade ships at Arcturus and prepare for total war.

The turians, still looking to police the newly discovered species, rally a fleet and destroy several Alliance scout flotillas before heading to Shanxi itself.

_The Occupation of Shanxi:_

Despite all attempts to stop them, the turians successfully made it to orbit around Shanxi with little effort. They laid siege to the colony, but not before word of the attack was sent to Arcturus. The turians bombarded the Alliance strongpoints from orbit, and then started bombarding food storage facilities and utilities. Guerilla warfare was used to slow down the turian ground troops with some success, but with civilians dying daily and food running low, General Williams called for a surrender. The colony's own defence forces and the accompanying civilians complied.

The United States Colonial Marine Expeditionary Force under Colonel Edward Ryan, a small group of US troops on a tour of colonies with the Alliance, refused the order to surrender. The turians hunted them to Xi'an Valley, where they made a last stand. With the American forces gone and the colony surrendered, the turians occupied the planet and settled in to defend it, assuming that they had destroyed the bulk of the Alliance fleet.

_Outrage:_

Word of the surrender and the massacre of the USCMEF got back to Arcturus just as a fierce political argument was breaking out between the constituent states of the Alliance. Shanxi was a European-backed colony made up largely of former PAC citizens, so the European Union wished to counterattack immediately. However, every other member of the alliance disagreed, refusing to sign off on the huge spaceborne counterattack already being organised by the Europeans. They still did not know who exactly they were fighting and why.

The why became irrelevent as soon as word of the surrender arrived. The United States, who had led the calls for diplomacy, immediately turned on its position. Not aware that their marines had refused to surrender, the Americans assumed that there had been a horrific massacre of surrendering soldiers. The occupation soon outraged all parties, and it was agreed that the counterattack should go ahead as planned.

_Retaliation:_

A month after the occupation began, the Systems Alliance Second Fleet under Admiral Drescher jumped into the system and annihilated the turian fleet guarding the colony. The turians were taken aback by a number of human innovations in space combat technology and tactics, and were outnumbered at any rate. The surviving ships limped back through the Shanxi-Theta relay.

With the turian ships shredded, it was the turn of the army. Titans and shuttles were dropped from orbit, surrounding the colony proper with the soldiers of Europe's Hell Brigade and the American Rangers. L5 Riesig assault walkers, now upgraded with kinetic barriers, blasted the turian occupiers to pieces. The aliens' anti-armour weapons were of little help as the active defences on the human armoured units detonated the munitions before they even hit the barriers. The turians soon adapted, using heavy machineguns to wear down the humans' primitive barriers, but they were simply outnumbered by metal behemoths.

The Alliance retreated, having demonstrated their strength and not wishing to risk the civilians' lives. Titans brought down reinforcements from orbit, and the turians were offered the opportunity to surrender. The aliens surrendered, and the human race saw the face of their aggressor for the first time.

_The Council intervenes:_

With Earth and her colonies now gearing up towards total war against an alien aggressor, and the Turian Hierarchy moving real assets towards crushing the human race, the Citadel Council intervened a month after Shanxi. Humanity learns that the galaxy is in fact inhabited by many species, many of whom possess mass effect technology, and most of whom organise their political and economic life via the Council. A ceasefire is negotiated between the Systems Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy, with the turians accepting responsibility for the war.

**After First Contact****  
2157: **

A manifesto for a pro-human group is published, calling for a Cerberus to defend humanity from the alien threats at its doorstep, in the midst of a proliferation of "pro-human" political grouplets and parties. The Systems Alliance dismisses the manifesto as nonsensical.

**2158:**

Ashley Williams is born on the American colony Sirona, in the 61 Ursae Majoris system.

**2160: **

The Systems Alliance Parliament is formed, consisting of a Council of States to represent the original powers and their designated colonies, and a Senate to represent the people directly.

Kasumi Goto is born at an unknown location.

**2161**:

"Jack" is born on the European colony of Eden Prime.

**2165:**

The Systems Alliance gains an official embassy on the Citadel.

The Batarian Hegemony begins to compete with the Alliance for colonies in the Skyllian Verge. The Alliance slowly prepares for war as the batarians' culture of slavery and aggressive stance leave little doubt in minds on Earth that conflict with the aliens is inevitable.

Legion system adopted by the Systems Alliance Military. Each legion is assigned to a Navy flotilla or colony, and is composed of up to six million soldiers from an Alliance member state.

**2170:**

The Alliance colony of Mindoir is attacked by Batarian slavers, who seize many citizens and kill many more, starting the First Verge War.

With a potential military coup brewing if no retaliatory action is taken, the Alliance Parliament appeals to the Citadel Council to intervene for the return of the kidnapped colonists. The Council refuses to intervene, so the Alliance Parliament authorises escalating military strikes against the Hegemony until the colonists are repatriated. Alliance Army Titans and armoured forces are dropped onto several batarian colonies in the Verge, and battles fought with the batarian navy. Alliance use of nuclear weapons on three minor batarian colonies forces the Council's hand, who impose a ceasefire, trading off the kidnapped citizens for compensation to victims of the nuclear attacks. Not all of the kidnapped are returned however, and outrage at their treatment as slaves leads to an expansion of the Systems Alliance Army and Navy.

The A-61 Mantis, developed to replace the old Cold War era UD-8 Talon for new technologies, is flown for the first time.

**2171:**

The Batarian Hegemony asks the Citadel Council to limit human expansion in the Skyllian Verge. They are refused, and withdraw from diplomatic relations with the Citadel, becoming a rogue state. The Systems Alliance reacts by a full assault on various mercenary groups in the Verge, pushing them out of the region and into the Terminus Systems.

Worst winter on Earth in a decade, thousands displaced from their homes. Glaciers advance for the first time in seven years.

**2173:**

Out of frustration with the Citadel Council and their tolerance of criminal activities, the Systems Alliance seeks to spread its influence. It successfully signs a treaty with the Quarian Migrant Fleet for technical cooperation in return for a number of visa considerations to quarians on pilgrimage as well as various diplomatic concessions and ship deals.

**2176:**

Batarian-funded pirates attack the colony of Elysium, but the assault is repulsed with contemptuous ease by the V Legion of the Alliance Army and several fleets of the Alliance Navy. The Second Verge War begins.

In retaliation, the Alliance sends six legions to the joint batarian-human colony of Anhur, crushes the slavers there and seizes the world, expelling the batarians en masse to Terminus space.

**2177:**

Slaver activity in the Verge continues, and the Alliance is lead on a wild goose chase to find their stronghold.

Fighting in the Yuki Cluster. An Alliance Army column on Akuze is attacked by Thresher Maws, the first time humans encounter the beasts. The assault walkers suffer heavy casualties, but are able to use the mass effect generators and heavy weapons on their armour to good effect. Several specimens are taken to the biolabs on Arcturus for examination.

**2178:**

The Alliance discovers the main staging base of the batarian slavers on the moon of Torfan, as well as several safe ports the pirates use thanks to their trajectories upon fleeing from the Alliance fleet sent to destroy them.

On the direction of an Navy N7 reconnaissance team lead by Lieutenant Jane Shepard, the XIII Legion of the Alliance Army brutally crushed all resistance by the batarians at the expense of many lives. The majority of the N7 team perished while clearing the dropzones for the Army and in the subsequent close quarters fighting. Shepard receives a promotion to Commander, and is assigned to the SSV Tokyo under Captain Anderson. The non-human media nickname her "The Butcher of Torfan", whereas the human media prefers "Our Angel of Death".

Unable to conquer Khar'shan, the Alliance Navy begins a bold operation to destroy the batarians' capability to fight. The Battle of the Kite's Nest begins at the end of the year, a series of naval engagements within the core of batarian space that destroys much of the enemy's ships. The victory forces the Hegemony to the negotiating table. A humilating but fair peace treaty is signed on the Citadel, ending the Second Verge War.

**2183:**

With the Alliance pulling its weight for the preservation of galactic civilisation, and the Terminus Systems crawling with potential threats to peace, the Turian Hierarchy decides to embark on a joint construction project with humanity for the creation of a new class of stealth frigate.

The first of these is the SSV Normandy.

* * *

The plan for the Battlefield-ME series

**_Shepard's War: Battlefield 2183, Battlefield 2185, Battlefield 2186._**

Covering the events of the Eden Prime War, the Collector invasion and the "Reaper War" proper. Given that these events are set and happen regardless of what humanity or anyone else could do in terms of the dates, the timeframes of these are pretty much set. If the Reapers could invade any faster than they did in the canon, I think they would have. Humanity being vastly more competent/aggressive wouldn't really change that.

**_Battlefield 2184: Children of Earth_**

_The Enemy Without, the Enemy Within, the Enemy Beyond. Humanity fought Saren's geth, but the devils at its door remain. Three soldiers, three stories, three enemies of Earth. _

Three shorter stories following what happens to three characters in the story, revealing key details of what happens between 2183 and 2185. One deals with the response to the events of the Bring Down the Sky DLC from the game, one will replace the storyline of the novel Ascension, and one deals with the arrival of the Collectors. Each has a separate main character.

**_Battlefield 2157: The Secret History of the First Contact War_**

_Humanity survived the First Contact War. Everyone knows the story. The turians attacked, conquered Shan'xi, were driven out a month later and the war was ended prematurely due to the intervention of the asari. Everyone knows the heroes, like Admiral Drescher and Colonel Ryan. But why did the asari intervene? Why did the troops at Xi'an Valley on Shanxi refuse an order to surrender? How was Earth saved from invasion and subjugation? A prequel to Battlefield 2183: the secret story of humanity's first real steps into the galaxy._

Given the background of this AU, the First Contact War is different.

**_Battlefield: Wars of the Systems Alliance_**

_Humanity is no stranger to war, and the past thirty years have proven bloody. A documentary on human conflicts since First Contact, covering the Verge Conflict, the Eden Prime War and the Reaper War, focusing on the key engagements both in space and planetside, the key people who made victory possible, and just how close we came to defeat. _

An in-universe documentary series published in 2197 for the anniversary of Armistice Day, inspired by the real life Battlefield TV series for the BBC and PBS. Basically a side project to get my ideas on the various battles out of the way, provoked by the shared name between the Battlefield games and the old TV documentary. Will cover the Verge Conflict at first: Mindoir, the Mercenary War, Elysium, Anhur, Torfan, and the Kite's Nest, all in pretty much the same style as the TV series. I'll expand it the further we go along to include the Eden Prime War, Collectors, Reapers, etc etc. Also, a conflict you don't know about yet. In short, a bridge between BF2157 and BF2183, and clarification on events that my characters don't see directly in the main series.


	2. Chapter 1: Paradise Lost

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: If you have never played Battlefield 2142, then you don't know what a Titan or an assault walker is. In addition to the three codex entries that I'll include with the story at the bottom, I suggest you search the following on Youtube: Battlefield 2142 Launch Trailer, Battlefield 2142 Titan Trailer, and Battlefield 2142 Northern Strike Trailer 3. They give a real taste of what both Titans and walkers are all about, and they actually fit in the ME universe quite well._

_Shepard's background is also expanded upon in my Battlefield: Wars of the Systems Alliance story, particularly the Torfan chapters. It's recommended reading._

_Other than that, I hope you enjoy the story._

**Chapter One:** Paradise Lost

The doors parted to the ambassador's private meeting room with a slight hiss, revealing the interior and its occupants. A spartan room with very little furnishings beyond a coffee table and a set of comfortable chairs, along with two of the most powerful human beings in the galaxy. Admiral Steven Hackett, commander of the Alliance Fifth Fleet, sat in his dress blues with a glass of bourbon and a satisfied air about him. The Admiral was widely tipped to become the new Chief of Staff for the Navy, now that there was a new administration. He was a hero of the conflict with the batarians, and well-liked by his subordinates. The other man was Donnel Udina, ambassador to the Citadel for ten years by this point and a political mastermind. He had helped steer humanity's diplomatic efforts through the difficult war years, and became such a force in his own right that he became untouchable, limited only by humanity's status as a minor power. Unfortunately, he knew it. His arrogance was both visible and audible. He barely looked at anyone straight except to go on the attack, and he talked down to anyone not in his game.

The Captain was no stranger to reporting to superiors, but the combination of civil and military power concentrated in that one room was unusual.

"Ah, Captain Anderson," said Udina, "Do come in and sit."

Anderson looked to Hackett by reflex, who inclined his head to confirm the order. Feeling better immediately, the Captain moved into the room and sat down in the nearest leather chair, opposite both of the others but closer to the Admiral's side of the table than the Ambassador's. He straightened his uniform and awaited the purpose of the meeting.

There was silence for a moment, until the doors closed, the guards outside locking it with a beep. Udina glanced at the Admiral, and picked up a cup of coffee, indicating that it was time.

"I'll get straight to the point, Anderson," said Hackett, leaning back into his chair, "Parliament has been pushing for more concessions from the Citadel for years now, and the Ambassador has finally begun to make some headway."

"No small feat, given how stubborn the turians are about our situation," Udina interrupted, "And past events." Anderson wondered just what he meant by the last part. He got the distinct feeling that there was some blame being put on his head, over Sidon and the controversy behind closed doors that had raged afterwards, but thought better of rebuking the man. He had made mistakes, just not the sort that deserved such a response from someone who had never seen combat. He held his tongue in check. Barely.

"Regardless, the Council has seen fit to evaluate a human for the Spectres again," said Hackett, "It's an incredible opportunity for humanity, a chance to prove that our capabilities can be used for the greater good, rather than just our own interests."

"In truth, it may be more of a leash. The asari were worried that we are being slowly isolated," Udina added, "They have a point. After our victory in the Skyllian Verge, the public are ready to believe that we can go it alone. We have to avoid that at all costs, you saw what it did to the batarians first-hand." The four-eyed slavers had withdrawn from their associate membership of the Council, and when war came, had found themselves almost completely without support among the other species. The only thing that kept them from utter defeat was fear of an expansionist humanity. Anderson nodded his agreement with the ambassador's argument.

"What has any of this got to do with me, sir?" the Captain asked, addressing his question to the Admiral.

"Shepard," said Hackett. No further explanation was needed.

"_Shepard_ is our candidate?" asked Anderson, his eyes wide with incredulity. His XO was infamous, and not a very political choice for any position that the galaxy's public eye would scrutinise. That she was being considered at all was a surprise. The only reasons she was still in the Navy at all was that her mother had some kind of leverage and Anderson had a place for her. The politicians occasionally still had a hearing about her continued service.

The Ambassador wasn't among them, evidently, as he pressed for more details.

"Tell me about her," said Udina, glancing at a data tablet, "She's a spacer, lived aboard starships most of her life..."

"Born on Earth. Military service runs in the family, both parents are in the service," said Anderson, "Sharpest instincts in a fight I have ever seen, commendations in every operation she ever..."

"She got most of her unit killed on Torfan," said Admiral Hackett, interrupting his subordinate.

"And she killed an entire company of batarians single-handed. She gets the job done, no matter what the cost," replies Anderson, "We would have lost far more without her." The pirates and batarian specialists may even have gotten away to fight another day, to raid and pillage the small colonies on the Terminus border for months or years afterwards. Anyone who thought she could have acted differently was an imbecile in Anderson's mind, but he knew she felt strangely about it. She had been a mess when she had been dumped on him five years earlier. Completely unrestrained, he remembered.

"Is that the sort of person we want to protect humanity?" asked Udina.

"That's the only kind of person who can protect humanity," said Anderson firmly. He believed every word.

* * *

"Do you hate aliens?"

The question hung in the air like a fog, the only thing capable of clearing it; the answer. It was also a shot out of the blue, an almost whimsical inquiry.

The Normandy's CIC had been nearly empty. The lights dimmed for the night, indicating it was the night turian called Nihlus stood at the viewscreen, a holographic image of Eden Prime and the rest of its system on it. Captain Anderson was nowhere to be seen, no doubt asleep in his cabin. It was the executive officer's shift. The only crew awake there were ensigns and a spare bridge lieutenant, all gathered towards the front of the room, away from the only other two occupants. Transit from orbit over Palaven has been smooth, turian efficiency doing its part. Now, the ship was heading to Arcturus, to pick up its full complement of personnel.

Jane Shepard pushed a stray curl of red hair out of her eyes as she attempted to monitor fleet chatter, unable to concentrate. Aside from being tired, as it was near the end of her own shift, the presence of the turian on the CIC was not particularly welcome. True, the ship had been a joint turian-human effort. The Hierarchy's first Normandy-class frigate was due to roll out of the shipyards the next month. The fact he wasn't human wasn't the absolute cause of her uneasiness either.

It was that he was observing her from across the room, and had been for hours.

Shepard had to admit he was good. Very subtle in his surveillance, something she thought essentially impossible for a turian in the first place. The only body language that betrayed him was that his shoulders remained squarely facing her, even as his head swivelled between a secure comms-station and the display. If he had been human, she might have mistook the display as attraction. But he wasn't.

Unfortunately, Shepard had not been so subtle in watching him. Their eyes met, Nihlus deciding that the game had gone on long enough. He stood up from the station he had been at, and paced over towards her, his hands behind his back. She followed his movements, not removing her gaze for a moment.

"Commander, may I ask you something?" the turian said, "Something you may find insulting?"

Wondering what sort of informal interrogation she was about to receive, Shepard frowned to herself. Why the turian cared, she did not know. Not knowing was troublesome. However, he was a Spectre. One of the many long arms of the Citadel Council, an operative for the turian, asari and salarian peoples that did not flinch from the most heinous actions, in order to protect them and their allies from threats to the galactic order. Simply fobbing him off with a platitude didn't seem like a good idea, so she quickly began closing up the windows on her console and leaned against the side of the CIC core.

"Shoot," Shepard said, rubbing the fatigue out of her neck. Attempting to look casual, and knowingly failing, in other words.

"Do you hate aliens?"

The question hit her like a baseball bat.

Shepard winced, frozen in place. It was a good question at least, however unwelcome. Did she really know the answer? If she did hate aliens, could she admit it? To a Spectre's face, no less. Nihlus' eyes cut into her, his impatience for an answer projected through them, yet everything else maintained an image of polite inquiry.

"Look... we began exploring the galaxy _after_ I was born. I vaguely remember it all," Shepard said, "We fought each other when Earth turned to an iceball, stumbled onto the Prothean ruins on Mars, came out into the galaxy, right?" She glanced at the turian for confirmation that he was aware of this.

"I am aware of your recent history, yes," said Nihlus, "In fact, it may be that humans were the most advanced species ever to discover the mass effect. You already had all the technologies you needed to exploit it. You were able to integrate eezo into your tools in a matter of months. No other species can claim the same thing."

Shepard's eyebrows raised. She didn't know that. She nodded, and continued, knowing that indulging the tangent wouldn't be tolerated, no matter how kindly the turian appeared.

"So, we explored," she said slowly, "Eager, but cautious. Optimistic, but ready. And what happened?"

Nihlus' mandibles twitched. She knew that he understood exactly what she was getting at.

"Relay 314," he said, before correcting himself, "Shanxi."

"Exactly," said Shepard, standing up straighter, "Without warning, your own people decide to attempt to subjugate my species, and over what? Compliance with a law we had no idea about, made by a Council we had never heard of, composed of the leaders of species we had no idea even existed."

The Commander took a breath, realising that her voice had risen a few orders of magnitude. A couple of ensigns bolted away, as her gaze swung to them. Nihlus continued in his frustratingly resiliant stance of polite inquiry. He knew she wasn't finished.

"But then, we hit back, and the asari and salarians stop you," Shepard said softly, "You all help us integrate into galactic society, at a faster pace than any other species has had the privilege of before. Still too slow to us, but it was still damned generous by your standards."

"They hardly did it to oppose the Hierarchy, or out of the goodness of their hearts," Nihlus pointed out, claw raised in front of him.

"Of course," Shepard nodded, "But, the story doesn't end there. We integrate, but in doing so, we piss off the batarians, who view themselves as the rightful 'fourth species' at best, as the rightful rulers of the galaxy at worst. That their society is almost completely the opposite of our own didn't help. We fight two wars. And what happens?"

Nihlus' head cocked ever so slightly to the side. This time, he didn't understand. Unlike Shanxi, most non-humans didn't understand. Shepard found it utterly exasperating.

"The batarians leave the Citadel, attack us, and your fleets do _nothing_," she said, her jaw clenching, "But, thanks to good planning and hard fighting, we win anyway. We stand on the edge of bringing down the whole rotten ediface of the Hegemony. Only then did your leaders decide to intervene. Total victory snatched from us."

The Spectre did not react to her frustration. He just listened.

"But, in return, we get to jump the queue," Shepard said, "We're on the fast track to a Council seat, perhaps even in my lifetime. We're valued, more than the volus or the hanar at least, and they've been around for centuries... "

An amused growl erupted from the Spectre, and Shepard's voice trailed off. She had said too much, she realised, and there was no way to unring the bell. Understanding that she hadn't really answered the question, she got to the point.

"So, do I hate aliens?" said Shepard, "Apart from the batarians, no. And who knows, maybe Khar'shan will fall some day and I'll have a lot less reason to hate them. But I sure as hell don't know where I stand with the rest of the galaxy. One minute, humans are a liability, the next, we're an asset. Enslaving humans is okay, but so is unrelenting human expansion towards the Terminus. I'd prefer if 'aliens' stopped jerking us around. For a change."

She left the part about her personal reputation out. At least her human detractors were firmly in the minority.

Nihlus hmmed to himself, his hands grabbed onto the neck-ring of his armour, his eyes upturned. Shepard braced for his response. As far as she was concerned, her answer had been a very complicated verbal shrug, however honest it might have been. Her military upbringing didn't leave her satisfied with such a vague response to a superior.

"Do you resent my presence here?" he asked finally, "I understand that many humans do resent turians, even though we are now allies."

Shepard shook her head immediately. "Not at all," she responded, "I don't know you, and despite the stereotypes, I've met turians who don't fit them. You may be one of them, actually. The same is true of asari, salarians, quarians... I've never met a batarian or a krogan who didn't fit their stereotypes, but I suppose it's possible. Not like you ordered Shanxi personally."

Nihlus laughed heartily. "I'm glad I didn't," he said, seizing upon the chance to lighten the mood, "The generals responsible for that got demoted, and in the Hierarchy, that's no small thing. The people responsible for promoting them in the first place lost their positions too."

Shepard snorted her amusement. "We could do with a little of that," she said, "Among our politicians at least."

With that, they both laughed together, and Shepard felt a great deal better about having a turian Spectre on board. He wouldn't be the first she had fought alongside, but she suspected he was the first she would appreciate. Besides, what greater opportunity than to learn from one of the galaxy's best.

That she was going to join him as humanity's first Spectre came out the next day. Shepard would not have much time to enjoy the idea.

* * *

"Transmission from Eden Prime, sir. You better see this!" interrupted Joker via the intercom, halting the mission briefing. Nihlus and Anderson had been explaining the true purpose of the mission. A Prothean beacon, and a chance for a human Spectre. But, the urgency in the voice of the Normandy's pilot was palpable. Impossible to ignore or dismiss. The hairs on the back of Shepard's neck stood on end.

"Bring it up on-screen," said Anderson, as they all turned towards the comm-room's viewscreen.

The image turned from a tranquil photo of the colony to infantry in a heavy firefight. The enemy could not be seen, and the squad in the video link seemed to be heavily suppressed. Explosions and incoming fire rattled past the camera man.

"We're under attack, taking heavy casualties! They came from nowhere, we need-"

The officer making the request for aid shut up as a loud humming started. The camera swung towards the sky. Surrounded by discharging energies, a giant black ship descended, tentacle like protrusions extending downward towards the ground. It looked truly massive, filling the screen and apparently the sky as well. The sound struck terror into Shepard for a moment, her chest tightening at the din as the ship finally landed. She couldn't figure out why. It was primal fear.

The video cut out.

"Comms are down, there's nothing after that," said Joker.

"Reverse and hold at 38.5," ordered Anderson.

The image of the giant tentacled ship returned to the screen. It was obvious. Eden Prime was being invaded. "Black Forest Protocol, sir," said Shepard.

"Looks like it," said Anderson with a nod.

"I don't understand," said Nihlus.

"If communications with a colony is lost, it is Alliance protocol to send recon, and then a planetary assault fleet. After Shanxi, we don't take any chances," explained Anderson, "We'll pass this information along, and go in for recon. High Command will want us in position for the orbital assault, and we can't let the beacon fall into the wrong hands."

"Take us in Joker, fast and quiet."

* * *

Shepard found Alenko and Jenkins in the cargobay, near the assault pods where Nihlus was already waiting. The two were busy checking their armour and weapons. Their armour was covered in the standard EU grey-white camo pattern for urban and arctic warfare. Etched on the side of their helmets and on their shoulder pads, the coat of arms of the Hell Brigade could be seen, a silver lion holding a sword and olive branch, surrounded by a halo of stars. Whatever Shepard had to say about the Alliance Army, they had sent some of the best to compliment the Normandy on this mission.

"Going to make trouble on this mission, Commander?" asked Alenko, with a generous helping of sarcasm, trying to deflect his discomfort about going into a warzone blind with humour.

"I always thought it was you Army boys that were wet behind the ears," she replied, happy for the distraction from what she had seen and heard from the vid-link.

"Only because we sit on glaciers for days on end while you Navy types sit in cozy ships, lobbing shells from orbit," said Alenko. Shepard laughed, throwing him his weapon in response.

Anderson arrived from the lift, Chakwas in tow.

"Your team will deploy by assault pod and make for the beacon, Shepard. It'll be your job to secure it against all threats. You're authorised to use whatever force you feel necessary. Nihlus will do recon on the area, and relay the intel back to the Normandy. Helping survivors is a secondary objective, the beacon has to stay in our hands at all costs."

"You can count on us, sir," said Shepard.

"And try not to get yourselves shot," said Chakwas, "I may be used to it, but that doesn't mean I like seeing you hurt."

Shepard raised a thumb to reassure the medical officer, and then closed the assault pod around her.

"Approaching drop point one," said Joker, and a moment later, a loud hiss erupted from the launch tube holding Nihlus' pod.

Anderson rapped his knuckles on Shepard's pod.

"Good luck."

"Drop point two," said Joker.

* * *

The world fell away, as the assault pod was shot out of the Normandy and towards the planet.

Shepard rattled around inside the pod as it powered its way through the atmosphere towards the dropzone. The ground closed at a lightning pace. Fires and smoke could be seen more and more clearly, but no signs of targets or civilians. The howling of the wind was the only thing to be heard other than the altitude reader's ever more rapid beeping.

The pod hit the ground with a dull thud, the mass effect generators firing up to allow a textbook landing. The sections of the pod opened up, and Shepard stepped out into the acrid air for her first real look at Eden Prime. The skyline was red from a mix of the setting sun and the light from burning buildings, but it was still easy to see why the colony was considered a paradise. Nothing but verdant hills, little woods and lakes as far as the eye could see. Now it was on fire.

"Dropzone secure, Commander," said Alenko, coming up on her position with Jenkins.

Shepard nodded to him.

"Troop Command Europa, Verdun squad is on the ground, going radio silent," Shepard transmitted, before waving her companions forward.

They rounded a large rock outcrop, and almost ran straight into a balloon creature of some kind that was floating lazily in the air.

"What the hell is that?" asked Alenko.

"Gasbags, they're harmless," replied Jenkins, "Watch."

The corporal shot the nearest specimen with his sidearm and it blew up with a bang.

"See?" the man said, satisfied with his work. A native of Eden Prime himself, his familiarity with the surroundings had completely screwed with him. Shepard slapped him on the backside of his helmet. She wished she could have slapped him on the back of the head. He was a little too new to the job, but should have known better.

"Giving away our position, real smart," she said, "Come on, let's get moving before someone comes to investigate why the party balloons are popping."

The group advanced onto the next ridge, with Jenkins on point. They had landed on the flat top of a rocky plateau overlooking a settlement, and had to negotiate winding paths flanked by stone. Shepard knew they would need the concealment, if what she had seen was as bad as she had feared. It was the reason why she had selected the area to land in. She also knew that the enemy would probably know that, and leave something to defend the passes.

"What is that smell?" Jenkins asked, a moment after they rounded yet another corner in the labrynth.

"Something familiar," replied Shepard.

"Smoke and death," said Alenko, clarifying.

The burnt bodies came into view soon after, laying where they fell. Each was arranged in a number of grotesque positions, showing exactly the dead person felt about being burning alive. Shepard pushed them on, mostly for Jenkins' sake. He had not seen much of that sort of thing before this mission, and Shepard saw no reason to introduce him to it yet. He needed to be thinking about something other than dying, if he wanted to stay alive.

They came up on another hill, the main settlement coming into view again. Jenkins rushed ahead as Shepard and Alenko sighted the buildings below, looking for signs of activity.

Without warning, two drones burst from cover. Jenkins shouted, trying to get the attention of his squadmates. The drones opened fire with some sort of rapid fire plasma weapon, and riddled the corporal with fiery holes. Shepard immediately ducked for cover behind an outcrop of rubbled stone. She heard Jenkins' body drop to the ground with a thud, as Alenko let off a few rounds to dissuade the enemy. The drones didn't get the picture, turning their attention and their gun barrels to fire.

Shepard groaned and quickly readied her pistol as the lieutenant continued to put down suppressing fire. If the drones got close, they might detonate. She knew they needed to end this before they could closethe gap. She decided to go for the longshot. Producing an EMP grenade, she tossed it at the drones' position. It exploded with a gratifying blue flash, discharging electricity over a wide radius. The drones dropped to the ground, and Shepard rushed up the hill at full sprint. The ploy had worked, to her surprise, but there was no time to dwell on it. She found the metal hulls lying on the ground near the top of the hill, and shot each three times with her pistol before they could reboot. The wrecks buzzed and died.

The lieutenant was crouching over Jenkins' body when Shepard returned, and she joined him.

"Ripped right through his shields, didn't stand a chance," said Alenko, standing up.

"We got lucky. If the EMP hadn't worked, we would be down there with have to carry on with the mission. We need to find that beacon," Shepard said, "Not to mention find out who those drones belonged to."

"Yes, sir," Alenko said.

* * *

The pair continued on their way, into a forested area. Shepard dispatched another group of drones from a distance with her sniper rifle, having spotted them entirely by luck through the trees. They had been hovering near something, patroling in a lazy pattern. That raised suspicions, as well as the hope that they had found something important.

The Commander repositioned to see what they were protecting, and put her eye to the scope again.

"What in the hell!" she shouted.

Two geth were dragging a screaming man towards a small platform of some kind. The civilian was utterly terrified, eyes streaming and face red, as the synthetics moved him forcibly backwards. Shepard felt the cold touch of her will to kill fall over her, the place she put her mind to fight within emotion. She began to aim in on the nearest of them, hoping to blast the damned thing to oblivion. As she was about to fire, the man was tossed onto the platform and held down. He squirmed, which moved the geth, preventing the shot.

A twenty foot spike slammed through the unwitting victim, hoisting him into the air.

Shepard opened her mouth in amazement and shock as she watched, as the blood streamed down the spike and the civilian twitched for a few seconds. The geth stood and watched, as if entranced. The Commander resisted the nausea of the view, took aim and fired, the cold killing instinct in her replaced with white hot rage. A rage she hadn't felt for five years. The shot burst through the chest of the first of the geth, toppling it over like a domino, as Alenko charged forwards to engage the second.

The biotic lieutenant closed the distance easily, and threw the target to the ground, smashing it with mass effect fields. White conductive fluid, almost like blood, sprayed into the mud and grass, congealing in the scrap metal.

"Good work, Lieutenant," Shepard said.

"Someone's coming, Commander," replied Alenko, pointing off down another one of the rocky trails ahead.

Sure enough, a figure emerged from a small crevice leading down to the town. The soldier was being chased by two more of the geth drones. She tripped and fell. Shepard sighted them, but it was too late. As the drones were about to deliver the killing blow, the white-armoured soldier rolled over. Bringing up a pistol, she blasted the things to pieces, before scrambling behind cover. Impressive marksmanship, thought Shepard, as she saw the newcomer was not alone.

More geth ran quickly into the space from where the soldier had come from. Alenko ran to cover beside the soldier, and together they began to engage the synthetics with controlled bursts from their rifles. It seemed to work, as the geth began to move to take shelter themselves. Shepard couldn't help but be intimidated by their immediate change in tactics. Fortunately, they had just played straight into her hands.

The Commander stayed back, plugging each geth with a well placed shot to the 'head' before targeting the next while they were distracted by the others. One by one, the combat units collapsed or fell on their back, disabled. The lieutenant pulled the last of the enemy towards his position, flinging them over the top of the rock they were hiding behind. The newcomer rushed forwards and poured fire on each of them. A brave woman, thought Shepard. The fight was over.

Shepard approached, putting her weapon back on its magnetic holster, and examined the soldier. The white armour the woman wore was scarred by hits, but she seemed to be in good enough shape to fight.

"Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, 212th Colonial Infantry," the soldier said, putting her own weapon away, "You the one in charge here ma'am?"

"Commander Shepard, N7. What the hell happened here, chief?" Shepard said, kicking over one of the 'corpses', "Where did the geth come from?"

The question seemed to fluster Chief Williams. Shepard frowned, realising why. Name recognition. Her reputation preceded her almost everywhere. Williams took a deep breath and collected her thoughts quickly, evidently nervous and sad in equal measure.

"We were on patrol when they showed up out of nowhere. We tried to get off a distress call, but they cut off the comm buoys and I've been fighting for my life ever since." The Commander put her hand on the Chief's shoulder, to steady the soldier.

"We got your distress signal and passed it along," replied Shepard, "The cavalry is on the way. Are you alright?"

"No, I think... I think the rest of my squad are dead."

"We can find out when this is all over, but in the mean time, I need you to take me to the beacon."

"...Sure, it's this way..." said Ashley after a pause. The group walked past the giant spike, the man impaled on it now quite dead. Blood had stopped pouring down the length of the shaft, coagulating. The ferrous smell of it wafted through the breeze.

"Any idea what the hell these things are?" asked Shepard, considering how best to destroy the thing. Its design was more than function, and it looked like an altar to her. Which made the implications of its existence even more disturbing.

"No, the geth just started putting people on them as soon as they arrived," replied Ashley.

"Why would the geth come out of the Veil for the first time in two hundred years, only to impale people on spikes when they can shoot us far more easily?" mused Alenko, as they continued moving.

"Shepard, this is Nihlus. I've encountered geth and found the spaceport, moving to investigate. I'll meet you there once you've secured the beacon."

"Copy that, good luck."

* * *

Ashley led Shepard and Alenko to the edge of a huge pit.

It was filled with geth. Most had taken to hiding behind various pieces of equipment and rocks, as well as the Prothean structure that poked out from the ground, others continued digging, searching for something. Or at least, pretending to. The beacon had already been dug up, and there would be no time to dig deep enough to find anything else of interest. The Commander saw through their plan, glad that the robots were fallible enough for that at least. They were waiting for someone to come along.

"Ambush, with the digsite as the bait," said Shepard, frowning, "We'll turn it on them, get down there and hide."

Ashley and Kaiden followed the order immediately without complaint or hesitation, to the Commander's relief. They crept behind discarded rocks, moving slowly through the soil, crouching behind mounds of rubble and excavated rock. Shepard noted the Gunnery Chief's movements in particular. The woman was good, covering every angle of attack for a split second with her weapon until she was sure there wasn't a threat, before moving to the next position and flowing into the next movement. It took some time before they were ready for the next step, but the geth were patient, and went about their business like clockwork.

Shepard smiled as she levelled her rifle to start the show. She sighted the biggest of the geth, a seven-feet high yellow thing with fuel tanks on its back and a flamethrower in its grip. Not only the most dangerous of the enemy to the others, but by far the most entertaining. She set her ammunition type to incendiary, and picked out the obvious target point. At this range, she couldn't miss. All she needed to do was wait until the thing made a scheduled stop nearby six others.

The shot slung out of the weapon with a boom followed by a low whine. The bullet passed into the fuel tanks of the geth shock trooper, sparking as it went. A spectaculer ball of flame ten metres across enveloped all seven of the secondary targets, as well as the unfortunate fuel carrier, burning brightly for a split second. The fire in the air cleared into a thin black smoke, but it stuck like glue to the bodies of the geth. Parts of them began melting away, as liquid began leaking out of the spaces in their armour, before the charred remains dropped to the ground, deactivated permanently.

Shepard watched, as the geth spread out in disarray and took cover. It was satisfying, but a different sort of satisfaction to what she had felt when she had watched slavers burn. The geth were never alive, she thought, perhaps that was the difference. They committed evil without understanding it.

Predictably, the rest of the geth moved to attack Shepard, running right past the lieutenant and gunnery chief, blasting away at the Commander's position with their pulse rifles. As far as they knew, they were only fighting one lone sniper, not a team. So, when the geth had all broken cover, Ashley opened fire with her assault rifle as Alenko sent warp fields into them, they were entirely unprepared. The geth were cut down in mere seconds, caught entirely by surprise and in the open with their backs turned. They tumbled over each other, trying to return fire, but were unable to before being struck either by the two soldiers or Shepard's rifle.

"Clear," reported Alenko. Shepard rose up from and left her firing position to join him, as Ashley picked up a geth weapon for a moment.

"Well played guys," said Shepard, "Wasn't sure that would work."

"We'll have to remember that one," said Kaidan, strolling into the Prothean ruin, "It'll make for a good story when we get back. Something to take the crew's mind off Jenkins." Shepard nodded once. It was a good idea.

"More of the spikes," muttered Ashley, taking point. There was a whole line of the things queued up along the ruined walls. More people hung like trophies from them, more pools of blood gathered below. It was still wet. Shepard looked away, and for their objective.

"And no beacon," added Shepard, "Where would they have moved it?"  
"The research camp," said Ashley, "It isn't far, this way."

The Gunnery-Chief led the way up another slope, out of the pit and towards a small encampment. Yet more spikes were waiting for them there, like grizzly totem poles, but there was no sign of the beacon. Plenty of equipment and pre-fabricated habitation modules, other artifacts that were obviously less important because they'd just been dumped at random with tags, and supply crates. It seemed quiet, with no one else around. Except the dead.

The spikes suddenly collapsed in on themselves, turning back into small platforms, leaving the formerly impaled corpses lying on top. Shepard tensed up, bringing her rifle to bear. The corpses twitched and then got up from the ground with a collective moan. They struggled to their feet, revealing their bodies fully for the first time. The dead had been embedded with some sort of cybernetics, metal implants that riddled their torsos and limbs entirely. Their eyes were sunken, and glowed a deep blue. With a terrible howl, the bodies charged towards the squad.

Shepard could barely believe her eyes, but opened fire. The other option was to be torn apart by the things. The others followed suit, sending a wave of shots into the wave of implanted flesh coming at them.

"Not good, not good!" shouted Ashley as she shot the husks.

About twenty of the things were hobbling quickly over, and bullets were a lot less effective than they should have been. Finding she was unable to keep up with the semi-automatic, Shepard switched to her assault rifle and hosed the abominations down. Alenko held them off with biotics long enough for the others to line up enough shots to shred each of the targets individually. The husks finally fell, chunks of them blown clean away.

The last husk was luckier however, managing to sneak up on Alenko. It grabbed him, and a huge electrical discharge erupted from its body. The lieutenant screamed with pain, before Ashley ripped the husk off of him and slammed her riflebutt into its face, crushing the front of its skull. Alenko slumped to the ground for a moment. The Commander ran forward, firing the last of her magazine into the offender.

"You alright, Kaidan?" asked Shepard, as the man struggled to get to his feet with Ashley's aid.

"That hurt like hell, commander," he said, "But I'm good to go."

"What the hell did the geth do to these people?" asked Ashley, turning her lip up at the broken bodies.

"Turning the dead into cannon-fodder," said Alenko.

"Clever," Shepard said, scanning the shredded remains of a husk, "Don't risk your own when the enemy can fight for you."

"Also, horrifying," said Ashley, "The geth will pay for this."

"No argument there," replied Shepard.

"I don't see the beacon. It must be at the port.."

* * *

As the squad made its way towards the spaceport, a single gunshot rang out into the air. Shepard called for a halt, as she scanned their surroundings for a shooter. None could be found, and worse, a particular detail stood out in her mind as she stood up again.

"That didn't sound like a geth rifle," she remarked, "Double time!"

Rushing up the hill, she made it to the top in no time at all.

Taking off from the spaceport's main fieled was the giant kraken dreadnought, writhing in static discharge as it rose into the sky. Its limbs folded in behind its hull, the purple-black metal a stark constrast against the red sky of the late evening. The hairs on Shepard's neck stood on end once again, joined by her heart beating like it was trying to escape her chest. As a weapon of war, the Commander couldn't help but admire it. A ship that size that could land on planets was a formidable thing to have. She felt utterly powerless before its presence, like an ant watching a boot marching along.

As if that wasn't enough to take Shepard's breath away, the spaceport held still more surprises. At the entrance stood entire squads of geth and more of the spikes, the former moving to intercept her and the latter filled with bodies transformed by whatever foul process was at work.

Alenko fired off to Shepard's right, and she turned, seeking a target. The lieutenant had downed a husk, and now the entire geth force was aware of their presence. They turned towards the humans together with stomach churning choreography. Each raised their rifle simultaneously, as if they were controlled by the same puppeteer. The fire came at Shepard in a great wave. She dived. The hypervelocity shots broke against the cover of a metal platform. Perhaps it was what she had just seen, but she knew she couldn't win the fight. Knew it, like never before. As her heart pumped audibly in her head, even harder than before, she acted like she didn't.

After tossing a grenade in the hope of catching advancing geth unaware, Shepard turned on her comms.

"This is Verdun Squad, request fire support at Eden Prime spaceport near target coordinates," she said as calmly and loudly as she could, "Normandy, do you read? Nihlus?"

Nothing but static came as a response, and Shepard cursed profusely. A geth platform hopped over the wall beside her. She nearly jumped out of her skin, as it reached for her with a three-fingered apendage. As it took hold of a piece of her armour, she grabbed her pistol and shot the synthetic in the shoulder. The geth fell to the ground with a clanging sound, but Shepard kept shooting it until her pistol overheated, its thermal clip ejecting angrily. The gun hissed at her, as if it was complaining about the abuse, discharging hot air from its side. She stared at it, unable to understand why she was acting like this.

"Commander, look!" said Ashley, pointing to the sky. Shepard followed her finger, expecting the kraken-shaped dreadnought to have returned.

Instead, a dozen Alliance titans were dropping in from orbit, powering up their drives and coming to hover over the city. The cavalry had arrived at last. The hovering fortresses were accompanied by a number of gunships, which buzzed away into the hills to hunt. Showers of assault pods launched from the sides of the vehicles, depositing infantry to take and hold the key positions for the rest of the Army to come. Shepard's strange feeling disappeared in an instant, as a voice came over the comms.

"Verdun, this is T245, inbound on your position to provide fire support."

The hulking form of the nearest titan came closer, and the huge guns on its belly opened fire. The geth were stuck as if by the gods themselves, being blown to pieces as craters sprung up where entire squads of the synthetics stood seconds earlier. Those left standing regrouped and retreated in good order, as armoured walkers dropped from the back of the planetary assault craft. The geth turned and opened fire on the armoured giants. The assault troops immediately spun up the gatling guns sticking out of their walkers like fangs, streaming hypervelocity rounds towards the enemy. Cover was torn aside along with the geth themselves, their broken bodies unrecognisable for what they were. The fight was over.

Shepard breathed a sigh of relief, and got up from her position. Kaidan cheered and raised his rifle in salute to the newcomers, while Ashley slumped against a fence. All she needed to do now was go get the beacon.

The Titan landed, and platoons began disembarking, fanning out to secure the area. The walkers pounded away into the hills, walking past Shepard and her squad as they made their way towards the outer settlements. A tank leader saluted from a cupola on top of the lead walker as it passed by, and Shepard returned the gesture.

An officer walked up, escorted by several others, all decked out in full armour down to faceplates that made them all look like statues of some kind. Unlike Lt. Alenko, their armour was more suitable for the lush forests of the planet they were standing on, being a muted set of greens and browns. Shepard ordered her companions to search for the prize, while she waited.

The officer removed his helmet, revealing black hair and a grim face. Out of courtesy, she removed her own, so they could speak more easily.

"Commandant Coats, Legio II Britannia," the man said as he saluted, stating the official title of his unit in cockney-accented Latin, "I presume you're the N7?"

"Commander Shepard, N7, assigned to the Normandy," she replied, shaking the man's hand, "The beacon isn't secure yet, and there are geth everywhere."

"It's the bloody Angel of Death!" exclaimed one of troops to his counterpart, betraying a Scottish accent. Shepard rolled her eyes, jaded by the very common reaction to her being recognised. She might be infamous to the galactic public, but she was just plain famous in the Alliance military. Either admired as a hero or a cause of annoyance to soldiers constantly compared to her.

"Hush, sergeant!" ordered Coats, causing the pair to stand at attention, "Open your mouths again like that, and you'll be chewing on my bootheel!"

"It's alright, Commandant," said Shepard, looking the two over, "I'm used to it."

Ashley ran up from the loading docks, and saluted the officers.

"Commander, you're going to want to see this," she said, the urgency clear in her voice.

"Coats, with me," said Shepard, as she followed the gunnery-chief.

* * *

They came up onto the raised platform, where Alenko was stooped over yet another body. A turian body. Nihlus lay on his side, his weapons still holstered to their magnetic grips, a gaping hole in back of his head. Shepard swore under her breath, and massaged her temples. There was going to be hell to pay, and she was going to be the one to pay it, she realised.

"High Command is going to shit bricks," said Coats, "If this is who I think it is."

"It is," said Shepard, kneeling to examine the body, "Shot in the head, point blank if the muzzle burn is any indication."

A corporal approached from the side, giving a hurried salute before reporting. Shepard stood up to listen, noting the other people with him.

"Sir, we found a civilian hiding behind the crates," he said, the civilian in question being escorted between two burly privates, "And more down in the storage barn of the nearest farm." The Commandant looked the civvie up and down, surprised that the man had been able to survive.

"Who are you, citizen?" asked Coats, waving his hand towards Nihlus' body, "What were you doing back there?"

"M-my name is Powell, I saw what happened to that turian. The other one shot him."

Shepard's eyebrow raised itself at that. "Other turian?" she asked.

"The other one got here first, he was waiting for something. The dead one showed up, and dropped his guard like he knew him. Called him Saren or something. Then the Saren guy just pulled out a pistol, and shot him in the back. I'm just glad he didn't see me, he was the meanest looking turian I've ever seen." A turian working with the geth made no sense, but that could wait. For the moment, she wanted only one thing.

"Do you know where the Prothean beacon is?" asked Shepard, getting impatient.

"It's on the other platform, at the other end of the port," said Powell, "Saren hopped on the cargo train, after he shot your friend."

"Alright, Mr. Powell, consider yourself detained by the Alliance Army for questioning," said Coats, nodding to his men to put the man in cuffs, "We'll need everything you know."

"Hey, wait!" said the dockworker as he was pulled off towards the landed titan, his feet dragging between his captors.

"Alright Coats, we need to get to the beacon before the geth make off with it," said Shepard, "You're with me, bring a platoon."

"Yes, Commander!" said Coats, before ordering up a unit to meet them at the cargo docks.

* * *

The journey on the train was only a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity to most of its passengers. The geth seemed to have disappeared, and the vulnerability of the transport to attack had everyone on edge. With nothing to hide behind, the troops took to setting up deployable shields along the length of the train. Anything to get the drop on the trap they were sure was waiting for them ahead. Shepard ignored them, standing at the very front, watching the end of the line intently as it moved ever closer.

"Where are they?" asked Ashley, joining the Commander.

Shepard kept her eyes pointed dead ahead. "Getting ready for us," she said, "They'll hit us the moment we get to the station." A prospect that positively delighted her. As far as she was concered, the geth would be lining up to die. The fight that had abandoned her in the presence of the mystery dreadnought had returned quickly, once it had left.

"Shouldn't we take cover?" the Gunnery-Chief asked, "Won't you be hit first?"

"Not if I hit them first," grinned Shepard, before retrieving her rifle from her back. Whatever had happened before, she was ready now. For something to strike fear into her heart like the dreadnought had would require some further investigation. But for now, it was time to fight again.

The cargo train took a few minutes more to arrive, and did so with a lurch. Gripping the rails to steady herself, the Commander vaulted the railings onto the platform before it had even stopped, and began running towards the cover of some crates. Sure enough, a geth unit popped its head around the storage as expected. Shepard closed down the distance, as the geth screeched at her. As the geth began bouncing shots off of her kinetic barriers, she activated her omnitool and sent a flash-forged blade straight through the thing's head. Ashley and Kaidan scrambled to follow her, as she blasted another geth that emerged beside the now-headless target. She ducked behind to reload, adrenalin sharpening her senses.

The rest of the geth emerged from the station and fired on Commandant Coats' troops as they disembarked from the train. To the soldiers' credit, they spread out and returned fire as best they could. Shepard knew some of them wouldn't make it though, there was just too many guns pointed their way. Determined to do something about that, she switched to her sniper rifle and began eliminating the geth with swift efficiency. As long as they had something else to shoot at, she would wreck them all. That was the cold fact she had intended to rely on all along. Several soldiers went down to the geth fire before they made it to adequate cover, but she carved down the synthetics' numbers nicely before they began reacting to the threat.

Once off the platform, Coats' squad made better progress, not least because of the flanking fire from Shepard's team. the exchange of fire grew more even-sided as Coats' command squad shadowed the platform's edge, shooting up onto the station proper. The Commandant was brave, Shepard thought as she watched. She wouldn't have gone that way. There was a reason why he had, however.

"Radiological alarm!" said Coats, stopping his fire and examining his omnitool, "We've got something nuclear nearby."

"Find it," Shepard ordered, "Quickly." Being vaporised into radioactive dust wasn't how she planned to die, and who knew if the geth even feared death. It could have just been nuclear materials for all she knew, but her history didn't suggest she would be that lucky.

The officer complied, and began searching the crates for the source. The geth began to take a greater interest, moving to get a clear shot at the team below. Something was definitely up, the Commander realised, before she turned her lethal attention to them. She shot a brace of them, before being interrupted by the bad news she knew had been coming.

"It's a bomb," Coats reported, "Or it looks like it. You better get back here."

"The geth are coming," said Shepard, "On the way."

By the time the Commander arrived, the bomb had been opened, with Coats' men standing around him looking very unhappy as they swapped shots with the geth. Shepard let off a few in the direction of the geth herself, _pour encourager les autres_, before making her way to the Commandant himself. The man looked worried, which unsettled her a little. She asked what the situation was, falling into her professionalism to guard herself against doubt.

"We have less than five minutes before it detonates," reported Coats. In other words, not nearly enough time to get clear, even with an aerial extraction. It all depended on how powerful the thing was. They might get away if it was only a tactical device. Shepard knelt beside the thing, examining the bomb and its detonator.

"It's a multi-kilotonne nuclear warhead," said Shepard calmly, "It'll destroy this settlement and everyone in it. Probably most of your legion too." With no escape.

"Can you disarm it?" asked Alenko.

"If I had more time, yes, but I doubt this is the only warheard," said Shepard, closing the casing again, "The geth would have put it somewhere more defensible if this was the only one."

"So we're all dead?" asked Ashley, hardly believing her luck. Shepard wasn't quite so sure as she stood up, putting her hand to her mouth and pacing towards the railings for a moment. Ashley and Alenko looked at each other, wondering if she had given up. She hadn't.

"Coats, order your men to turn off their NetBat systems and omnitools," The Commander said, turning her own off with a tap of the haptic interface.

"You heard the woman, turn your shit off!" he said loudly, trusting in Shepard's reputation. The troops complied quickly, a glimmer of hope sweeping through the faces.

"Normandy, this is Shepard. I need an immediate wide-area EMP strike on my position."

"Copy that, strike package on the way," said Joker, "Thirty seconds until blast."

Shepard grimaced, wondering if it would be enough.

"Will that stop the geth?" asked Coats, evidently thinking the same thing.

"It should stall them for a few minutes, but that's not the point," explained Shepard, "This bomb isn't shielded for electronic countermeasures, the detonators will short out and the bombs won't fire." Nor would they turn her or anyone else into shadows on the walls.

"That's quite a gamble," said Alenko, "What if we don't get them all or if other charges are shielded?"

"There's no way we'll be able to fight through the geth and disarm each bomb in time," Shepard replied, "We have to take the risk."

"Troops, reload," said Coats, "As soon as this hits, we charge."

The Normandy came into view, soaring down from the sky like a bird of prey. As soon as it lined up with the station, everyone took cover. The EMP cannon pulsed repeatedly, humming with each discharge, bathing the entire station in blue-green electrical blooms. The ship then pulled up at the last second, buzzing the station and the troops in a stunning display of piloting. Joker would be bragging about that one for weeks, Shepard thought as she got up.

The smell of ozone filling the air, she reactivated her systems and ran forwards. Joined by her own crew and the soldiers, she sprinted into the station quickly. The synthetics were disorientated, some lying on the ground, others getting back to their feet. A touch of amusement crossed Shepard's mind, as she realised the attack had done a lot more damage than she had anticipated.

The squads relished the opportunity to kill each of the geth, tossing grenades at them and smashing them with omnitools and rifles. More of the enemy descended from more of the mysterious spikes, and ran towards the vengeful soldiers.

"Watch the husks!" said Shepard, plugging one from the top of a balcony as they rushed forwards. For three of the soldiers, the warning came too late. The husks grabbed a hold of them, detonating their cybernetics. The troops were crippled with pain, and the husks tore the men to pieces before enough fire returned the favour. The advance halted abruptly, but it seemed as if they had gone far enough anyway. The geth were in full retreat.

"What in the hell were those?" asked Coats, as Shepard hopped down off the balcony.

"The latest horror show," Shepard said, "The geth make those things from the colonists by impaling them on those spikes." She briefly remembered the man she had seen killed in that way, before putting the thought away.

"That's ... beyond words," Coats replied, as his troops saw to the dead. None of them would be forgetting this, the Commander realised. Thankfully, the way was now clear to her objective.

Shepard turned to the cargo area, and there it was. The Prothean beacon. A pillar of polished metal, etched with a strange language in green lighting, with a computer attached to the bottom. It looked like a model of a skyscraper or something to her, but it gave off a strange aura. An inticing one.

"So this is it?" asked Alenko, "It's smaller than I thought it would be."

"It better be worth it," said Coats.

"Nihlus thought it was," replied Shepard, eyeing the surface of the artifact. It seemed to hum at her as she looked. Had it detected her presence?

Ashley approached the beacon slowly.

"It wasn't doing that when they dug it up," she muttered, taking another step towards it, "Something must have activated it."

The beacon started to power up, with green lights shining down it's entire length now. Shepard looked on as Ashley appeared to be pulled towards it by some force. The beacon started making a lot of noise, which was rising in pitch.

The Commander, fearing the worst, rushed to Ashley. The Gunnery-Chief began screaming, holding her head as she began to levitate in the arm. Taking her by the waist, Shepard flung her back, and was caught in the beacon's grip.

The device pulled her just in front of the interface and lifted her. Shepard's head pounded with pain for a moment. Images flashed into her mind. More of the kraken-like ships descending from the sky. People being torn apart. Bodies piled as high as houses. Planets scorched from space. Massive fleets doing battle.

The beacon exploded, tossing Shepard to the ground. She fell unconscious.

* * *

**Codex: Titans**

_A Titan is a huge airborne fortress that serves as a transport, air support vehicle, gunship carrier and mobile operations base. Developed by the Pan-Asian Coalition before the 2139 Cold War, the European Union developed their own line of Titans to counteract the project and the vehicle has served with human military forces ever since. The addition of mass effect technologies means that these flying behemoths can be dropped from orbit with entire companies of troops on board, along with armour and limited air support. _

_The role of the Titan in late 22nd Century combat is constantly debated, especially outside of the Systems Alliance. A Titan's kinetic barriers are essentially immune to damage from the vast majority of conventional arms capable of being deployed on planets. They now carry vertically mounted EXALT launchers for dealing with ships attacking them from orbit, but they remain vulnerable from attack from space. The Turian Hierarchy, the only Citadel species to have direct combat experience against titans, has started a limited construction run of a titan project of their own, which may lead to the adoption of the concept by all major military powers._

**Codex: L5 Riesig Assault Walker**

_A bipedal assault walker or armoured mech famed for its reliability and firepower, the L5 Riesig is entering its sixth decade in the service of human militaries. Developed in Germany before the 2139 Cold War, the Riesig originally possessed twin vulcan cannons, a multiple rocket launcher system, an anti-aircraft cannon and an active defence system not dissimilar from naval GARDIAN batteries. By the 2170s however, it has been upgraded significantly, with gatling mass accelerators, a variety of anti-vehicle weaponry mounted both in the hull and the top turret. It is also now capable of being dropped from orbit or in atmosphere, from ships or Kodiak Heavy Lift shuttles._

_Sheathed in hardened and ablative armour, sporting both active defence systems and kinetic barriers, the Riesig is a truly tough nut to crack. The turian occupiers of Shan'xi found that their anti-armour weapons based on missiles were entirely inadequate, and they did not possess enough high calibre accelerators to turn the tide. The batarians by contrast studied the human way of war extensively both before and during their conflict with the Alliance, and equipped their forces with both fast firing anti-barrier weapons and large calibre AT guns to try and compensate. Despite their advantages, no other military powers in the galaxy have decided to design walkers, leaving the Riesig the only walker officially in service with any species' military._

_The Riesig was upgraded after the Skyllian Blitz for even more barrier strength and ablative armour, and remains the Alliance's go to armoured vehicle for operations on irregular terrain. It has become so ubiquitous that it is said that if Mikhail Kalashnikov designed an assault walker, the Riesig would be it. _


	3. Chapter 2: Realpolitik

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD:_

_Here we are now, some real meat! Shepard wakes up, we get the situation and heads to the Citadel for a chat with politicians. Just not the ones you're expecting. Yet._

_Cookies for those who get the hat-tip to another game I enjoy very much._

_Shout out to the 16 Irish people who have read this according to the stats, and indeed, everyone else. There seems to be a stunning number of Mass Effect/2142 fans out there, as I've had this out only a couple of days and we're looking at views in the thousands. _

_This chapter is where the "Humanity Fuck Yeah" vibe really starts to take off. At least I think so._

_Shenanigans and the Council to come in the next chapter._

_Two codex entries at the bottom as well._

_Enjoy._

* * *

**Chapter Two: Realpolitik**

Shepard woke up, her head ringing like a bell. She was lying down on her stomach, on a bed. Cracking her eyes open, she discovered she was in the Normandy's medbay. Relieved that she wasn't dead, she rolled over and sat up, rubbing her head.

"Doctor Chakwas, she's awake," said Ashley, running over and holding her by the shoulder, "Are you alright Shepard?"

"You tell me," Shepard replied, groaning to herself as she looked around to see who else was there , "I feel like I just woke up from night of tequila."  
"Well, I'm glad to report that you are still alive, and physically fine," said Chakwas, "You had us worried when they brought you in, but the only thing that was out of order was some unusual brain activity."

"That figures," said Shepard, "The beacon did something to me."

"It's my fault, I must have triggered a security field when I got close to it," Ashley said with a sigh, "You had to push me out of the way."

"I remember that part," said Shepard, "But don't worry Chief, I think the EMP strike had more to do with it than anything you did."

Ashley looked like a weight had been taken off her shoulders, and took an easy breath.

"We don't know what set it off, and now, we'll never get the chance to find out," said Chakwas.

"The beacon exploded after it was done with you, and the blast knocked you out," Ashley explained, "The Lieutenant and I carried you back to the ship."

"Thanks," said Shepard, "Doc, did you say something about brainwaves?"

"Yes, and you were experiencing increasing rapid eye movement," said Chakwas, "Were you dreaming?"

"I saw... something. Terrible things. Death, destruction," said Shepard slowly, "It's all confused."  
"Hmm, I better add this to my report..." started Chakwas.

Captain Anderson walked into room in his dress blues, marching with a purpose. Ashley stood to attention and saluted. Shepard followed the chief's example, with more difficulty.

"At ease Shepard, you were hurt," said Anderson kindly, "Sit down, that's an order."

Shepard complied at once, collapsing back onto the bed, as Ashley grinned.

"If she's alright, I would like to speak to the Commander in private," Anderson said to Chakwas and Ashley. The gunnery-chief saluted, and left after a glance at Shepard.  
"All readings are normal Captain, she's fit for duty," Chakwas added, before following Ashley out into the mess hall.

"Looked like the beacon hit you pretty hard," said Anderson, "Are you sure you're ok?"  
"I'm fine. Was a little surprised to find Chief Williams here though."  
"I figured we could use a soldier like her. She's been reassigned to the Normandy."  
"Williams is a good soldier, even if she is Army, sir," smiled Shepard, "She kicked ass groundside."  
"Lieutenant Alenko thought so too, which is why I agreed to back her transfer to the Hell Brigade."

"You said you needed to speak to me in private?" said Shepard.  
"I won't lie to you Shepard, things look bad. Nihlus is dead, the beacon is destroyed and the geth are invading."  
"The Council are going to squeeze us for this," said Shepard, "Instead of a tidy op and Prothean secrets, they get a dead Spectre."

"That's not even the biggest of our problems. Eden Prime was a symbol of humanity's reach for the stars. An emergency session of Parliament has been called, and the media is buzzing. Colonies across the Traverse are fearing for their existence, and the people back on Earth are treating it like a new Pearl Harbour."  
"With respect sir, isn't that exactly how we should be treating it?" asked Shepard.  
"That's not our determination to make," said Anderson, "The situation with the Council is delicate because we lost the beacon, and we can't fight the geth and the Citadel at the same time."

"The Council can kiss my ass, they can't blame me or humanity for losing the beacon," said Shepard loudly, "We didn't do anything wrong."  
"The Cabinet of Ministers agrees with you," said Anderson, "They've already decided to back you and your report. You were a hero to many on Earth after Torfan, they're willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. But that's not why I'm here. It's Saren, the other turian."

Anderson sighed, and paced about for a moment. Shepard looked on. The Captain had a disgusted look on his face at the very mention of the turian's name.

"Saren's a Spectre, one of the best. A living legend. But if he's working with the geth, it means he's gone rogue. Saren's dangerous, and he despises humans."  
"Why?" asked Shepard.  
"He thinks we're growing too fast, taking over the galaxy," said Anderson.  
"Aren't we?" smirked Shepard.  
"We've come very far in a short time, sure. Point is that we don't have malicious intentions towards anyone," replied Anderson, "But intentions don't matter to Saren, and he has allied to the geth somehow. And the only clue we have is that beacon."

"The beacon picked you up before it blew up, did it give you any information? Anything that might tell us what Saren's after?"

"A vision of some kind, synthetics, maybe geth, slaughtering people. Bodies stacked as high as buildings, planets burning," said Shepard, grimacing at the implanted memory.

"We need to report this to the Alliance, Shepard," said Anderson.  
"And say what exactly?" she asked incredulously, "That I had a bad dream?"

"Prothean data-troves could have any type of information in them. For all we know, you just had the plans for Prothean superweapons downloaded into your mind, information Saren could use against us. I know him, he believes humans are a blight on the galaxy, and this attack was an act of war. With Prothean secrets and an army of geth behind him, he may try to wipe humanity from the face of the galaxy!"

"I'll take him down or die trying, sir," said Shepard grimly, looking away, "The way he killed Nihlus was barbaric."

"It's not that easy," said Anderson, "He's a Spectre, so he can go anywhere and do almost anything without consequences. He has resources beyond that of entire corporations or colonies. And Parliament will still want his head on a plate."

"Won't the Council be pissed if we just kill one of their top agents?"  
"Well, the ministers are currently deciding how to deal with the Council," said Anderson, "The ambassador has also been contacted to arrange a meeting, so we can present our report. What our report says will depend on what our own government decides. I don't expect we'll be apologising any time soon."

"So what next?" asked Shepard.

"We're already on the way to the Citadel," said Anderson, "When we get there, you'll brief the ambassador and the government on what you found down there. After that, we'll meet the Council and see what they have to say."

"And if the Council say that they won't let us hunt down Saren?"

"Then it's war," said Anderson, almost with a growl, "Probably taking the whole galaxy with us."

* * *

Shepard left the medbay after fifteen minutes, as Chakwas performed some final checks and prescribed some booster pills to keep up her strength. Anderson left to talk to the ambassador about the visions she had after the beacon picked her up, and Shepard was nervous that they would think she was mad. Getting Category-6'ed out of the navy was not her preferred retirement plan.

The thought left her head, as Ashley waved her over to the mess table.

"I'm glad you're okay, Commander, the crew could use some good news after what happened to Jenkins," said Ashley, "Part of me feels guilty about what happened, it feels like I'm replacing him."

"You're a good soldier in your own right, you're not replacing him," said Shepard, trying to put her worries to rest, "But when a person's number is up, it's up."

"That's grim Commander. I guess it's unsurprising that you'd see it that way though, with Torfan and all. That must have been hell."

"What happened had to happen. We all signed up knowing that we were signing up to give our lives so others could live. Doesn't mean I like sacrificing soldiers, I just understand why we need to."

"I understand as well ma'am, and I won't let the Alliance down," said Ashley, standing straighter.

"I know you won't," replied Shepard, "And for the record, I'll miss Jenkins. He was a good man."

Shepard paused for a moment, looking at the gunnery-chief. She had been through a lot in her own right on Eden Prime.

"What about you, Williams?" she asked, "Things got rough for you as well, are you okay?"

"I've seen friends die before, I've been in combat. It's just, my entire unit... The civilians hanging from those spikes... I'm just glad you showed up when you did."

"Give yourself some credit too," said Shepard, "You survived on your own against plenty of geth before we came."

"Thanks Commander. I was worried about being assigned to the Normandy, it's nice when someone makes you feel welcome."

"You kicked a lot of ass back on Eden Prime," said Shepard, "I'm very glad to have you."

"Thanks."

* * *

The Citadel was a marvel in Shepard's eyes, and she spent the approach to dock with it gawking out of the windows with Ashley and Kaidan. The size of the station, its wards, the colour from the nebula behind it, even its defence fleet was beautiful. Of course, Shepard knew what the beauty was hiding. The Citadel Council had dominated the galaxy for thousands of years, cooperating together to solve many problems, but also insuring the dominance of the top species. Humanity, not even on the galactic scene for the space of a single human lifetime never mind that of an asari, did not register as a "major" species.

That was changing. With the defeat of the batarians, an act that Shepard had no small part in bringing about, even the turians had sat up and taken notice. The batarians had reacted to humanity's entry with state-sponsored terrorism and criminality. The Council approved heartily when the Alliance crushed the batarian military but refrained from conquering the Kite's Nest outright. They then asked that humanity climb down from a militarised stance, wanting humans to fall into line, to rely on the turians for defence like the rest. The Alliance refused, pointing to the Terminus Systems and the lack of action by the Council to secure the Traverse. What came about was a stalemate, between humanity's desire to go forth and conquer those that would do it harm, and its desire to avoid the isolation and eventual humiliation that the batarians inflicted on themselves by withdrawing from the Citadel.

These tidbits of history and politics flooded Shepard's mind as she was taken to the human embassy on the Presidium. With the geth attacking, the balance could tip either towards integration or isolation of humanity from the rest of the galaxy. The Commander knew she would have some role to play, and she was not looking forward to it. Political bullshit always had a way of obscuring duty.

* * *

"It's an outrage!" shouted Ambassador Udina as Shepard stepped into the embassy's main officer, "The Council would step in if the geth attacked a turian colony!"

The ambassador was standing in front of a communications platform, and three holographic figures stood on it.

Two of them were recognisable to pretty much any human in the galaxy: Alexander deBankole and Alice Dennison. The consuls of the Systems Alliance, the leaders of humanity. The former was a retired European army general of African descent, whereas the latter was a former CEO of various corporations and a cousin of the President of the United States.

Together, they possessed immense power, rivaled by no other executive in the galaxy save for the Primarch of Palaven.

Shepard was surprised to see these legendary public figures. She had expected to talk to High Command, maybe Admiral Hackett on Arcturus. She felt her throat tightening as she realised that things must be grave indeed.

The third holographic figure was a woman in an army combat uniform. She didn't seem to be paying attention as she was reading from a datapad and kept flicking her hair out of her face. Shepard saw what she was immediately; a spook.

"Yes Ambassador, but could we have expected any other outcome?" said deBankole, "The Council are very fond of pointing out the dangers of settling near the Terminus Systems."

"I'm not sure the geth are what they had in mind when they gave those warnings," added Dennison, "The threat is hardly only to humanity at this point, yet the Council's back is up because of the loss of both the beacon and a Spectre."

"Not to mention the fact that one of their own might have carried out the whole attack," said Udina, "We need to act."

"The Cabinet has been recalled and Parliament's recess cancelled for an emergency closed session," said Dennison, "We need to act, but we need to do so wisely. War is coming, and we cannot go to war unprepared."

"C-Sec are investigating our evidence against Saren," said Udina, his tone making it perfectly clear how useless he thought that to be.

"Were our positions reversed, I do not doubt that we would try the same delaying tactic," said deBankole, "Not to mention that our evidence is flimsy at best."

Anderson stepped forward, and coughed.

"Ah, Captain Anderson," said Udina, "I see you brought Shepard with you"  
"In case the consuls had any questions," said the captain.

"Indeed we do, Anderson," said deBankole, "Commander Shepard, it is truly a pleasure to make your acquaintance. You have served humanity well."

Dennison scoffed.

"If you call alienating our allies with brutal tactics to be service," she said, "Served humanity, deary me Alex, you really can be an ideologue sometimes."

"I did as I was ordered on Torfan, nothing more," replied Shepard.  
"Of course, Commander," she said, "I didn't mean to insult _you_."

"I don't expect tact from an American," grinned deBankole, "So I am not offended."  
Shepard was slightly shocked to hear the two leaders of her species bickering almost like children.  
"And I don't expect common sense from a European," replied Dennison, "But we can insult each other later. Udina?"

"We have the mission reports you sent ahead," said Udina, putting the meeting back on course, "Can we assume they're accurate?"

"They are," replied Anderson, "Sounds like you convinced the Council to give us an audience."

"They were not happy about it," stated Udina angrily, "Saren is their top agent, they don't like him being accused of treason."

"What they like is irrelevent," said Shepard, "He attacks a human colony, he dies."

"Our thoughts exactly, Commander," said deBankole, "The geth will have to be dealt with as well."

"Terra Firma are already calling publicly for the Strategic Deterrence fleet to be deployed to the Veil," said Dennison, "They want us to drop enough nukes on Rannoch and the other geth strongholds to send the synthetics 'back to the Stone Age' as they put it."

"Is that actually an option?" asked Anderson, raising an eyebrow.

The two consuls turned to their other companion, who finally raised her eyes off of her work.

"No, Captain, it is not an option," she said, "We have zero real intelligence about geth defences in the Veil because that's the only thing the quarians won't share with us under our existing agreements, not to mention getting into a war with the Migrant Fleet because we blew up their homeworld would be foolish in the extreme."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" asked Shepard as politely as she could.

"Karla Haider, Alliance Defence Intelligence Directorate," she said, smiling brightly, "Pleased to meet you, Angel of Death."

Shepard chuckled a bit. Her reputation followed her everywhere, but the tone of Haider's use of her more flattering nickname was not hostile in the slightest. She decided she liked the intel officer.

"Colonel Haider is the chief liason from the DID to our office," explained Dennison, "And she's very good at her job. We won't be going off on any crusades into the Perseus Veil any time soon if she says we can't do it."

"Any word on how all of this will affect Shepard's chances of becoming a Spectre?" asked Anderson, "We could use a political victory right about now."

"To be frank, I don't think we'll be seeing that happen any time soon," droned Udina, "Eden Prime was supposed to be a win-win for both ourselves and the Council. But instead, Nihlus is dead and the beacon is destroyed."

"That's Saren's fault, not Shepard's!" said Anderson loudly.

"Then we better hope C-Sec actually does its job, and turns up more evidence to support our accusations," scoffed Udina, "The chances are not good."

"In the mean time, we need to discuss the other issue here," said Dennison, "We kept the report about your visions out of the set we sent to the Council. For good reason."

"You believe me?" asked Shepard, taking her meaning.

Dennison again turned to Haider, and coughed to get the officer's attention. Haider held up a finger and did something with her datapad, before looking up from it once again.

"When we first informed the Council about our Prothean Archives facility on Mars, the asari inquired about how many people died or went mad in order to get it working. At the time and to this day, no one had or has died at the archives, and the question was strange enough for the DID to investigate. Apparently many Prothean data-troves operate much like the reports on the beacon on Eden Prime indicate. The computer interfaces directly with the mind of the person trying to access the information. On Mars, the archives work via a console containing a VI-like interface. We don't know why what we got was different, but we do know that other species have had to be careful when studying Prothean tech."

"So my visions could be information downloaded from the beacon?" asked Shepard.

"You're lucky to be alive and sane," said Haider, "If the beacon didn't explode, you would likely be dead. The beacons just weren't built for the brain physiology of any species alive today."

"I'm hoping that whatever it did, it gave you something useful, Commander," said deBankole, "Under no circumstances are you to inform the Council that you interfaced with the beacon. They are in no mood to believe us, and if we so much as hint at it when we accuse Saren, they will dismiss the whole affair out of hand."

"Ambassador, you are to decline any offers of military aid and are forbidden to request it from the Council," said Dennison, "It is extremely likely that Parliament will sign off on occupying the Traverse ourselves. That is in our interests, just as beating the batarians out of the Verge was."

"Won't that set off a war with the Terminus Systems?" asked Udina, "Are we at that point?"

"Eden Prime was sacred ground, ambassador, Earth and all the colonies are in uproar," said deBankole, "Humanity shall not shrink from conflict with barbarians or synthetics. An uneasy peace is often worse than war."

"And we're very good at war," added Haider, with a smile, "Less so with peace."

"True enough," replied Dennison, frowning.

After a final exchange of pleasantries, the transmission stopped. The holographic images fizzed out of sight and the audio cut out with a hum. Shepard turned to Udina.

"The Council will meet with us tomorrow," said Udina, "They want time to go over our reports in full, as well as to contact Saren so that he can hear the charges against him. Come on Anderson, we have a lot to organise before then."

"You're on R&amp;R until then Shepard," said Anderson, "You could use some downtime after Eden Prime."

"Yes, sir," said Shepard, "Thank you."

* * *

**Codex: Alliance Government**

_Like most human democratic government, the Alliance is governed by an executive branch, a legislative branch, and a judicial branch. Unlike the asari republics, which rule by an all-inclusive e-democracy, humanity embraces representative democracy with referendums for matters of constitutional reform._

_The highest office in the Systems Alliance is the Consulate. Two consuls are in office at the same time, one female and one male. One consul acts as head of state, chief foreign affairs minister and head of the military. The other acts as the head of government, running the internal affairs of the Alliance. Both act as finance minister, though junior ministers assist in this role. Both consuls are elected by Parliament, to insure that the executive has the support of the legislature at all times. Consuls that lose the confidence of the Alliance Parliament must step down and call a general election. Together, the consuls select a cabinet of ministers to run the Alliance's government and civil service.  
_

_The Alliance Parliament is based on the old German and European federal model. It has two chambers, the Consilium and the Senate. The Senate is a directly elected body of 750 delegates from Earth and her colonies, and is the more powerful of the two chambers of Parliament. The Consilium (renamed from Council after first contact) is the direct representation of the governments of Earth and the colonies, insuring a strong voice for both the old states of the homeworld and for all but the smallest of colonies._

**Codex: Alliance Strategic Deterrence**

_With the end of the First Contact War, humanity was given access to the history of the galaxy, including that of the Rachni Wars and the Krogan Rebellions. The tales of worlds destroyed by weapons of mass destruction, deorbited moons and redirected asteroids shook the very core of Alliance military thinking. Once again, humanity turned to its own experience in order to counteract the possible destruction of its worlds._

_Within a year of the end of hostility with the turians, the Alliance Strategic Weapons Division had designed, constructed and tested a variety of nuclear, neutron and EMP superweaponry. As of 2183, a triad of options exist for delivery of such weapons; from FTL-capable bombers, stealthy missile frigates, or extreme range VI-directed cruise missiles capable of being launched through relays. _

_The doctrine for the use of such weapons is simple; if humanity is hit, it can and will hit back harder._

_This has allowed the Alliance military to remain at less than 3% of the human population, as both the military and political elite know they have a last resort to fall back on should they require it. Strategic bomber forces and missile frigates are stationed all over human space, particularly on the borders with the Batarian Hegemony and the Terminus Systems. _

_Missile frigates are named after famous last stands in human history, evoking the fact that if they are ever called to be used in anger then the situation is extremely grave._


	4. Chapter 3: Unrest and Recreation

**Chapter Three: Unrest &amp; Recreation**

Shepard woke up much as she had the day before. Her head pounding, lying on her stomach on a bed she didn't remember climbing into. To add insult to injury, her stomach felt like it was on fire and she was half-undressed underneath the blanket thrown around her. This time however, it was in her cot in the crew quarters on the Normandy rather than the medbay that she found herself in.

She fixed her clothes quickly, wondering how she got in that state. Reaching blindly for a bottle of water from the table beside her bunk, she knocked it over. Cursing, she pulled herself across the edge of the bed and picked it up. Lieutenant Alenko sat on the next cot over, staring at her.

"Rough night, Shepard?" he said, "You're quite fun when you drink."

Shepard winced as memories of what happened after she left Udina's office flooded back. She pushed strands of her red hair out of her face, and grabbed the water, draining it to slake her ungodly thirst.

"...We didn't?"

Kaidan burst out laughing.

"No, we didn't. And I hope I would have more to say to you than 'rough night' if we did," he said firmly, "The other stuff though..."

Shepard's brow furrowed at that. She just couldn't leave well enough alone and she drowned her worries in more ways than one. Hence, the massive hangover.

"I think only the infamous Commander Shepard could get into an adventure involving an elcor diplomat, the volus ambassador, a turian general, a sleazy bar and an asari 'consort' only an hour after arriving on the Citadel," Kaidan smiled, "And then proceed to get everyone stone drunk to forget all about it."

"Oh God, don't tell me, Chief Williams..." said Shepard, remembering the woman's presence the night before at some point. Thankfully not during the adventure for Sha'ira.

Kaidan thumbed over his shoulder, and Shepard bent sideways to see past him. Sure enough, Chief Williams was there, sleeping soundly. On the floor beside her bunk, still in her uniform, without so much as a peep of discomfort eminating from her.

"Ashley was there," said Kaidan, "But she's out for the count."

"Ugh, great," groaned Shepard, "There goes unit cohesion."

"We've bonded in ways that no other unit has before," Kaidan continued, "Like watching you and the Consort..."

"Just stop, tell me you didn't actually see that," said Shepard, putting one hand on her face to cover up her embarrassment, and holding the other up, "No more."

"Heard it," corrected Kaidan, "I have just one question, and we don't have to say a word about it again."

Shepard dropped her hand off her face, and frowned.

"I could just order you to shut up," said Shepard, "But what is it?"

"How was it?" asked Kaidan, "I mean, was it better than ... you know..."

Shepard's frown deepened. Why the hell did he want to know?

"It was intense," said Shepard quickly, "That's all I'm going to say."

Ashley groaned loudly, stopping Kaidan's response dead. The chief picked herself up off the ground, and looked around, finally stopping her eyes on Shepard.

"Nice floor, Ashley?" asked Shepard.

"Hmm, the best, ma'am," she replied, actually getting into her bed, "Weird night."

"I'm beginning to think it's a good thing we might die in a war soon," said Shepard, "Because I might never live this down."

"Look on the bright side," said Kaidan mockingly, "At least you improved relations for humanity at a critical point."

"You are a bad, bad man, Kaidan," she groaned, looking at her watch.

* * *

The long ride to the Council's chambers was awkward. Three hungover soldiers who looked like they had been run around the block deliberately. It was silence the whole way up. "We're going to make quite the impression," thought Shepard as the doors of the lift opened, "But at least we have a good excuse."

The corridor opened up before them, revealing staircases framed with sakura trees and a huge fountain.

The trio hurried up the first set of steps. They were already late, no small part due to their R&amp;R activities and traffic on the Presidium. As they reached the level with the fountain, they almost ran smack into two very displeased looking turians.

"Saren's hiding something! Give me more time," said the turian in blue, "Stall them!"  
"Stall the Council? Don't be ridiculous," said the white-faced one, "Your investigation is over, Garrus."

The white faced one in the fancy suit turned away, and paced up to the next level.

Garrus glanced at Shepard, and she saw recognition enter his face. He walked over.

"Commander Shepard? Garrus Vakarian," he said, "I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren."  
"Sounded like you really want to bring him down," said Shepard, "You weren't pulling any punches with ... whoever that was."  
"That was the Executor," replied the turian, "As for Saren, I don't trust him. He's always been dirty, and something about him rubs me the wrong way. But he's a Spectre, everything he touches is classified. I can't find any hard evidence."

"I hope that didn't stop you finding something," said Kaidan, clearly hoping the man hadn't been shut down entirely.  
"Nothing yet," said Garrus, "But I'm going to keep looking. Good luck, Commander."

Shepard and the others sprinted past the turian, and up to the Council atrium. There seemed to be quite a crowd there, listening to the proceedings that had just started. Udina's face was on several viewscreens on the walls, but she couldn't make out what he was saying over the general chatter. Diplomats and officials of every Citadel species were crowded around the screens, listening.

Continuing on her way, and dodging a keeper, she made it to the Council level. Anderson was waiting for her there.

"The hearing has already started," he said, "Come on."

The captain lead her to the chamber proper. To her surprise, a giant hologram of a turian stood beside the Council. Shepard's face curled with anger. This was Saren.

The discussion finally became audible as they passed through a soundproofing field.

"The geth attack is a matter of some concern, but there is nothing to indicate that Saren was involved in any way," said the asari councillor, in a calm and measured tone.  
"C-Sec found no evidence to support your charge of treason," added the turian representative.

"What sort of investigation did you do in just a day?! An eyewitness saw him kill Nihlus in cold blood!" said Udina with a growl, "It's enough to suspend this fanatic so a proper investigation can be launched."

"The testimony of one traumatised dockworker is hardly compelling proof," said the salarian councillor.

"It's enough for more than token measures," said Udina, his voice rising.

"I resent these accusations," said Saren, cool as could be, "Nihlus was a fellow Spectre and a friend."  
"That just let you catch him off guard!" shouted Anderson.

"Captain Anderson, why are you always there when humanity makes false charges against me?" asked Saren, "And this must be your protegé, the Butcher of Torfan, the one who let the beacon get destroyed."

"How do you know about the beacon?" asked Shepard, "It was a top secret operation, the only way you could have known was if you were there!"

"Nihlus' files passed to me on his death," said Saren, unperturbed by the point, "I read the Eden Prime report, you're not as impressive as you think you are. But what can you expect, from a human?"

"You hate us as a species, that's why you attacked Eden Prime!" said Shepard.

"Your species truly is arrogant, you should learn your place," Saren continued, "You're not ready to join the Council. You're not even ready to join the Spectres!"

"He has no right to say that! That's not his decision!" Udina roared, clutching the railings of the speakers rostra so hard his knuckles turned visibly whiter.

"Shepard's admission into the Spectres is not the purpose of this meeting," said the asari councillor.

"This meeting has no purpose," said Saren, "The humans are wasting your time and mine."

"I agree," said the turian councillor, "If there is not hard facts to back the speculation here, then we have no choice but to dismiss this charge."

"Do you have anything else to add, Commander Shepard," asked the salarian councillor.

"No, I will accept your judgment," said Shepard, as she was briefed to do. The thought of playing along with the council made her sick, but it was for the greater cause. "I'm not going to jeopardise humanity's future for the sake of scoring points."

"An enlightened view," replied the salarian approvingly, before he turned to the asari councillor.

"The Council has found no evidence of any connection between Saren and the geth. Ambassador, your petition to have him disbarred from the Spectres is denied," she said with finality.

"I'm glad to see justice was served," said Saren, before his hologram blinked off. Shepard grinded her teeth, and vowed to plug the turian with as many holes as possible.

"We accept your learned judgment," said Udina, with a tone of sadness clearly evident in his voice.

"This meeting is adjourned."

* * *

Back in the atrium waiting room, the ambassador gathered the others. Shepard sat down, not believing just how badly the hearing had gone. She sincerely hoped the salarian councillor was shot and the only witness was a dockworker. She was willing to bet a year's pay that would change the Council's mind about witness evidence. She became tempted to arrange it personally, when Udina coughed to get everyone's attention.

"It was a mistake to bring you in there, Anderson," mused Udina, "You have a history with Saren and it made them question the credibility of our evidence."

"I know Saren, he's working with the geth for one reason," said Anderson, "The extermination of the human race. The Council needed to hear what we had. All of it."

"What history?" asked Kaidan, "With Saren, I mean."

Anderson glanced at Udina, looking for some reaction. The ambassador nodded slightly.

"A few years back, I went on a mission with that turian bastard. It went bad, real bad," Anderson said, his tone becoming harder, "But I know him. If he's out to destroy us, even Earth isn't safe."

"What do we do now?" asked Shepard, "Hunker down for war?"

"We hunt Saren regardless of what the Council thinks," said Udina, "That's why we made a show of accepting the Council's decision, so they give us the breathing space to actually pull it off."

"We can't sit by as he plays with his geth on our colonies, killing our citizens. The Cabinet is meeting as we speak, and Parliament meets tomorrow. It'll be all-out war then, whether the Council likes it or not," added Anderson.

"I'm as angry as anyone else, but can't we just get Saren?" said Ashley, "Won't that stop the attacks?"

"We are beyond that point now," said Anderson, as Udina fiddled with his omnitool, "We just need to pray that we find evidence of his treason after we find him."

The ambassador started playing a video, holding his arm up so the rest could see it properly. A large crowd was gathered, seemingly in New York outside the old UN building, now the American seat of the Alliance Parliament. It was a huge protest, stretching for blocks upon blocks. All the signs read 'WAR'. They appeared to be chanting. The image then changed, and it was the icy streets of Berlin this time, winter's firm grip on that city not preventing seemingly millions from demonstrating on the streets.

"The truth is that no one can stop the war now," said Udina, closing the video, "And no one wants to. I've known Alexander deBankole my whole life. He's a veteran of the Cold War, he saw atrocities and that war was won only with a complete victory. The only thing he'll accept is a complete victory, and he's far from alone."

"I'm sure Dennison is rubbing her hands at securing the Traverse for humanity as well," added Anderson, "She is a big fan of those asari colonies out in the Terminus where almost anything goes. She's an expansionist and always has been."

"So, we find Saren to cut the head off the snake," said Shepard, "But how do we find him?"

Udina's omnitool buzzed, and he groaned at the interruption.

"What is it, Silus!" he said, answering the call.

"Priority message for you, sir," said the assistant.

* * *

Shepard, Ashley and Kaidan were crowded into the skycar as Joker flew it full speed down the wards, dancing the flyer between skyscrapers and oncoming traffic. An intense look of concentration on his face, the flight lieutenant looked like he was enjoying himself. Shepard wasn't disliking it either. She tried and failed to remove the smile from her face as they caused a barrage of hornblows from other skycars at a junction. The two Army jocks in the back seat however were not please.

"Hey Joker, is this punishment for my doubts about Eden Prime, or are you trying to kill us?" asked Kaidan, holding on for dear life.

"Yeah Joker, take it easy," Ashley said, her voice wavering as the car flew past a huge cargo hauler, missing it by inches, "We won't be able to do the job if we're splattered against the windshield of a shuttle."

"Have a little faith," said Joker, tapping an altitude control, "Udina said we needed to get there ASAP."

The ambassador had indeed stressed that time was of the essence. His assistant had patched him through to Haider, who had some very interesting intelligence to share. Dr. Chloe Michel, a doctor on Zakera Ward and contact for the DID there, had received a very interesting visitor. A young quarian had burst into her clinic with a gunshot wound, running a fever and begging for help. Dr. Michel healed her, and she had revealed three things.

First of all, she had intelligence on Saren, secondly, what her name was, and lastly, that she was being hunted by a dangerous group of armed killers.

The first piece of information managed to get Udina to smile, to the surprise of everyone else. The quarian's name sent him into his own thoughts for a moment, as if it meant something to him. Her injury and the fact she was being hunted down sent him into something like a panic. He reacted quickly, ordering Anderson to get a driver or a pilot to the base of the tower as quickly as possible.

Udina had given very specific instructions. The quarian was to be protected at all costs, and brought to the human embassy for debriefing. The use of lethal force was authorised. Time would be short, as if thugs were after the quarian, they were being sent by Saren.

They had all rushed back down to the lift, and Joker was waiting in a suspiciously expensive skycar as soon as they stepped out onto the commons. And so began the near-death experience of a journey to the wards.

"We're here!" said Joker, putting the vehicle into a tailspin as it fell towards a parking spot, before giving the throttle a nudge, setting it down perfectly. Ashley and Kaidan looked like they were about to kill Joker for that last move, as the party bailed out of the doors.

"You better get out of here," said Shepard, banging the hood, "Things could get ugly."

"Don't kill too many of them," said Joker, sarcasm dripping from his voice, "And don't tread blood into the Normandy when you get back. I'm not scrubbing it out." Shepard just grinned back at him.  
"No promises," she replied.

The skycar took off again, with similar breakneck speed and agility.

"Alright, act casual while we scope this place out," the Commander ordered, checking her pistol before holstering it again, "We don't want C-Sec to get in the way."

"Yes, ma'am," said Ashley.

The crew wandered quickly but quietly through the upper ward's main arcade. Huge windows allowed watchers to see the other wards. The Destiny Ascension was passing by, and crowds of people were sat by the glass, watching it as they chatted and drank hot drinks from vendors that plied the walkways. Unlike their arrival from Eden Prime, neither Shepard nor her crew were paying attention to the sights now. The Commander scanned the approach to the clinic, which was well signposted.

The crowd parted for a moment, and she spotted Officer Vakarian. He was on his omnitool near the door of the clinic.

"Hey, it's that turian C-Sec guy," said Ashley quietly, "What's he doing?"

Garrus flicked off his omnitool, and very non-chalantly palmed his sidearm. Shepard rushed towards him, avoiding bumping into pedestrians. She got there in time, just before he was about to open the door, getting a hand to his shoulder. He spun around and aimed at the Commander with alarming speed.

"We're on the same side," she said, as recognition once again became visible on his face.

"Not wise to jump me like that," said Garrus, now amused as he pointed his pistol away from Shepard's face, "I almost shot you there."

"That wouldn't have ended well for you," smirked Shepard, thumbing over her shoulder to her crewmates, "You were about to go into the clinic, I couldn't let you do that."

"My friend runs the place, and she asked that I come down to protect someone very important with information on Saren," Garrus replied, "She set off a silent alarm a few minutes ago, you better have a damn good reason for stopping me."

"Silent alarm?" said Shepard, "Damn, they're already here!"

"We need to get in there," said Kaidan, as he and Ashley moved to opposite sides of the doorway.

"We could sneak in, take out the leader and surprise the rest?" said Garrus, copying the humans.

"Or we could do it our way," said Shepard quickly, as she activated her omnitool's minifacturer.

* * *

The door blew off its hinges, the micro-explosives that Shepard had made first breaking the frame and then sending the door itself flying to the floor. Shepard and Garrus were first inside.

Various humans were about the room, and they seemed unusually heavily armed for mere thugs. Poorly armoured though. Shepard began firing on the nearest immediately, and he fell instantly, trying to duck behind the clinic's counter but not quite making it.

Garrus dropped one himself with a single shot from his pistol, barely missing a woman in a white labcoat that Shepard assumed was Dr. Michel. It was some shot, and Shepard couldn't help but be impressed as the rest of the thugs took cover behind everything and anything.

Kaidan and Ashley now came in. The lieutenant immediately went with his biotics, lifting a heavy desk clean off the floor and tossing it at the mooks hiding further back. The two who had been hiding behind it were shot to pieces by Ashley, who had set her rifle to overkill and riddled the unfortunate men with every sign of enthusiasm.

Garrus pulled Dr. Michel away, as the three humans now advanced together. The thugs refused to give up, and made a final charge. They roared obscenities and shot wildly, but hit nothing. Kaidan sent them spinning in the air in a singularity. Ashley and Shepard then opened fire, and the men dropped to the ground dead with an audible splat.

"They fought to the death," breathed Ashley, "They weren't soldiers, but they fought to the death."

"Why?" thought Kaidan aloud, speaking for everyone.

Garrus now emerged with Dr. Michel, who looked considerably shaken but thankful to be alive.

"That went textbook," said Garrus, clearly happy, "Even got a clear shot at that bastard over there."

"Noticed that, very good shooting," said Shepard, nodding her approval.

"Sometimes you get lucky," said Garrus with some false modesty, "Dr. Michel, are you hurt?"

"No, I'm okay," said Michel, "Thanks to you."

"Dr. Michel, I'm Commander Shepard with the Alliance Navy, and this is Lieutenant Alenko and Chief Williams," said Shepard, "We're here on the orders of the human ambassador to bring the quarian to our embassy. Where is she?"

"When the thugs came in, I hit the silent alarm," said Michel, "I had added her to the contacts to alert so she could escape if anyone came in to find her. She probably ran out of the delivery door."

Michel pointed to the back of the clinic.

"Damn it!" said Shepard, "Alenko, Williams, stay here and protect the Doc. Vakarian, you're with me!"

Shepard ran to the storage room with Garrus, and opened the delivery bay door.

It opened out onto a balcony large enough for a skycar, overlooking an alley. Various crates and boxes were stacked around, but nothing big enough to hide behind. Shepard creeped to the edge, and ran her eyes up and down the space below for any signs of the quarian.

She found the woman, standing in the alley some distance away. In front of her, a large turian and several salarians were blocking both ways out. All of them were in some pretty decent armour, and were well armed. The turian seemed to be in a C-Sec uniform.

"You know the one talking to her?" Shepard asked Garrus. As he looked, she opened her sniper rifle and set its barrel down on the railing with a ping.

"He's definitely not C-Sec," replied Garrus, eyeing the rifle now, "The uniform is fake, and those salarians aren't wearing anything we use."

"Good," said Shepard, taking aim. She set her scope onto the turian below, as he was touching the quarian's side in perverted manner. Just as she was about to blow his head off and feel very good about it, the quarian reacted. She hit the turian in the gut, and tossed something over her shoulder before diving behind a dumpster. It had been a grenade, and the salarians behind her caught the full blast of it, collapsing to the ground bleeding as their comrades began firing at the quarian.

"She's far from helpless," remarked Garrus, and Shepard fired her first shot. A salarian who had been sneaking up on the quarian from behind dropped to the ground, the back of his head now conspicuously missing. The quarian for her part didn't even notice, as she was too busy fending off the mob on the other side with a pistol and her omnitool.

Garrus had by now retrieved his own rifle, and Shepard watched him shoot a running salarian in the knee and followed up with a headshot. That put the rest of them into cover, as they realised that someone with high-powered rifles had a bead on them. The quarian's mask also turned upwards, as she wondered who was helping her.

As Shepard bounced another round off a turian's head, a huge figure emerged from behind where the target had been hiding.

"Spirits, they have a krogan!" said Garrus, as the behemoth of a specimen charged into the battle. Shepard was about to put a shot into the red-armoured beserker when the target in question slammed into the turian who had been leading the enemy group, tossing him to the ground.

With a roar, the man pulled out a shotgun and blew it into the downed turian's face, before doing the same to a salarian who moved to intervene.

"We need to get down there!" said Shepard, stowing her rifle and hopping over the edge to the ground. She landed hard and loudly, the thud of the metal drawing the attention of both the remaining salarians and the quarian.

"Alliance Navy! Surrender!" she said, wanting to drag the salarians back to the DID for interrogation. The aliens responded by firing at her, an insult she returned with pleasure. Garrus dropped down as well, and together they moved on the last two of the attackers. They got there too late. The krogan burst through the boxes, backhanding one of them to the ground and picking up the other. With a rather casual throw, the last salarian was neutralised against the alley wall.

Shepard and Garrus approached the krogan cautiously as the quarian stood up, looking at all three of them.

"...Um, are you going to kill me?" asked the quarian. Shepard had been concentrating on the krogan, but glanced at her now. She seemed somewhere between scared and confused, as her pistol was half-raised.

"No, I'm here to protect you," growled the krogan, "Not sure about these pyjaks though."

"Wrex, we're here for the quarian as well," said Garrus, "Though why you care, I don't know."

"Contract work," said the krogan, relaxing now and putting his shotgun away, "Didn't recognise you there Vakarian, but then all you turians look alike to me."

Shepard breathed easier, and turned to the quarian. "Were you hurt in the fight?" she asked.

"I know how to look after myself. Not that I don't appreciate the help," said the quarian, "Who are you?"

"Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy," said Shepard, "We were told you have vital information on Saren?"

"Yes, I went to Dr. Michel's clinic because I was told it was an Alliance safehouse when I left the flotilla. If you're in trouble on the Citadel, get to Michel's they said, something to do with an Alliance treaty with the fleet," the quarian explained, "I guess I get to repay you for saving my life. But not here, we need to go somewhere safe."

"We have orders to take you to the human embassy," said Shepard.

"As long as I can come along," growled Wrex, "I can't let the quarian out of my sight under she's delivered the information to you humans."

"Why? Who hired you?" asked Garrus.

"The Shadow Broker," said Wrex, scratching his headplate, "Saren backstabbed him and now the Broker is out for payback. Stupid, but then arrogance always was the downfall of you turians."

"I think we've all had enough of this alley," said Shepard, ignoring the krogan's remark, "Let's move."

"Agreed," said the quarian.

* * *

Getting back into the embassy was bothersome, as Shepard had to explain what a turian C-Sec officer and a krogan mercenary were doing with her. On a mission of grave importance and the highest secrecy no less. Shepard countered that they had helped get the quarian here safely, and that having their VIP hanging around outside the embassy was idiocy in the extreme. The security detail looked very sheepish as the group was allowed inside, to Shepard's delight.

The Commander lead her mixed band and the quarian into Udina's office. The ambassador was talking to Colonel Haider when they walked in. He turned around immediately upon hearing them.

"Shepard, you're not making my life easy. Involving a C-Sec officer in an Alliance military operation? And a krogan mercenary? The consuls are going to have my hide for this," he said, "But at least you achieved the objective."

"Officer Vakarian was investigating Saren and refused to stop after he was ordered to, as well as being an excellent marksman," said Shepard, finding herself unable to resist defending the man, "He's on our side."

"And as for me, it's my job to make sure you got the information this quarian has," said Wrex with a grumble, "So you can whinge about it all you want, but I get the job done."

Udina eyed the krogan for a moment, before moving to the quarian.

"On behalf of the Systems Alliance, it is good to see you are safe, Miss Zorah," he said to her, offering his hand.

"Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," she said, shaking it awkwardly.

"We don't see too many daughters of members of the quarian Admiralty Board around here," said Udina, "Why did you leave the flotilla?"

"I was on my Pilgrimage, my rite of passage into adulthood," said Tali, "Even an admiral's daughter must prove that we will contribute to our community, we don't have the resources to permit wasting them."

Shepard wondered why Udina had refrained from telling her that the mission was to rescue a quarian princess. She shifted her weight on her hips as she looked at the man with annoyance. He took 'need-to-know' a little too seriously. She was just glad she had been friendly to Tali before, causing a diplomatic incident with the one race that would be glad to see war against the geth would have been embarrassing in the extreme.

"We understand you have information for us?" asked Haider via the commlink, "Information on Saren. Would you care to explain what sort of information?"

"I retrieved it from a geth platform I disabled on my travels," Tali said, "I was curious as to why one would be so far from the Veil, they haven't been seen outside it for two hundred years. I managed to grab the information from its memory core."

"That must have been difficult," said Haider, frowning, "The geth fry their memory cores as a defence mechanism when they're disabled or destroyed." Shepard smirked. Haider was annoyed that the quarians had discovered a way to get intel from geth and her tech people hadn't.

"My people created the geth," said Tali, "As long as you're quick and lucky, small amounts of data can be saved. Most of the core was wiped clean, but I salvaged something from the databanks."

"The location of his base? His operational plans?" asked Haider, excitedly.

"Maybe something more useful," as Tali tapped her omnitool.

"Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit," said the recording. Shepard recognised the voice. It was Saren.

"..This is proof that Saren was involved in the attack on Eden Prime!" said Haider, "We can use this to expose him, not to mention defuse any attempt by the Council to stop the war!"

"He's looking for something called the 'Conduit'," said Shepard, thinking it over, "What's that?"

"If Saren is looking for it, it's probably Prothean technology of some kind," said Haider, "If his objective is to destroy humanity, it could be some means to either destroy or bypass our defences."

"Wait, there's more," interrupted Tali, "Saren wasn't working alone."

The recording of Saren repeated. "And one step closer to the return of the Reapers," added a female voice at the end.

"I don't recognise the second speaker, the one talking about Reapers," said Udina, bringing his hand up to his jaw.

"Reapers... That sounds familiar," said Shepard, not sure where she had heard the name from.

"According to the memory core, the Reapers were a machine race that existed 50,000 years ago. The Reapers hunted the Protheans to extinction, and then they vanished. At least, that's what the geth believe." Tali waited for the reaction.

"Sounds a little far-fetched," said Udina, frowning.

"My vision from the beacon... I understand it now," said Shepard, rubbing her head as she remembered the images, "I saw the Protheans being wiped out by the Reapers."

"The geth revere the Reapers as gods, the pinnacle of non-organic life," said Tali, "And they believe Saren knows how to bring the Reapers back."

"Then we are very lucky," said Haider, "If we strike the geth now, before these Reapers come back, we have a fighting chance to stop them coming back at all."

"The Council is going to love this..." muttered Udina.

"We don't have to say we believe that the Reapers are real," said Shepard, "The Council doesn't even know about my vision, just give them the recording and they'll let us chase Saren."

"Hmm, that might work," said Udina, "Either way, I need to present this to the Council right away."

"What about her, the quarian?" asked Wrex, reminding Udina that the krogan was actually still in the room. The ambassador jerked back slightly as he realised it.

"My name is Tali!" she said loudly, "You saw me in action, Commander. You know what I can do. Let me come with you, if the geth are attacking, I want to help."

Shepard thought about it. In truth, she knew very little about the geth. The first time humanity had ever fought them was on Eden Prime. The mission could use an expert on the synthetics, not to mention another engineer. It was just an added bonus that Tali was capable of plenty of destruction in her own right.

"Alright, welcome aboard," said Shepard, shaking her hand, "You were pretty good back in that alley, and I'll take all the help I can get."

"Thanks, you won't regret this," said Tali cheerily, moving to stand beside Shepard. The Commander smiled. The quarian's enthusiasm was very endearing.

"I'll go talk to the Council," said Udina, "Haider, pass on the information to the consuls and Alliance High Command."

"It'll be my pleasure," said Haider, her German accent leaking through more than usual due to her excitement, "We've just got the political trumpcard we need to proceed with war." The hologram blinked off, and Udina turned to Shepard once again.

"Shepard, you're to return to the Normandy and take command," said Udina finally, "Anderson's been promoted to Group Captain in preparation for hostilities, he'll be in operational command over the 63rd Scout Flotilla for the coming conflict."

"I'm honoured, but shouldn't Anderson be leading the charge against Saren?" said Shepard, not wanting to deny her now-former Captain the chance to take down his enemy.

"High Command doesn't want skeletons leaping from closets," said Udina, "Besides, I might still be able to tease Spectre status for you from the Council, once I present Miss Zorah's evidence. If that happens, you'll need a ship, and the Normandy is perfect for the job."

Udina left, edging past Wrex who refused to move for him.

"I presume you two are coming along as well?" Shepard asked the krogan and Garrus.

"Well, I've probably been fired from C-Sec," said Garrus sheepishly, "They won't be happy when they find out I continued investigating Saren."

"And the Shadow Broker will want me along to insure Saren eats my shotgun," said Wrex.

"Then let's get to the Normandy," said Shepard, "My headache meds are wearing off, and I need to get more."

* * *

**Codex: Human Military Innovations**

_The arrival of humanity to the galactic scene caused a revolution in military thinking. As a species with a long history of conflict right up until first contact, humanity's thought processes were heavily influenced by their own history and by science fiction. Concepts other species would not have dreamed of were thought up long ago, before technology existed to make such ideas a reality._

_Naval innovations such as carriers, Extremely Advanced Long Range Torpedoes (EXALT), kinetic burst missiles, frigate wolfpacks and direct suborbital deployment of ground forces were developed before first contact. Ground forces innovations such as the use of assault walkers and close support artillery were even more shocking to the galactic community, as turian and batarian forces completely collapsed before human forces in First Contact War and Skyllian Blitz respectively. _

_Both humanity and the rest of the galaxy has been adapting to the new state of affairs with vigour. The Citadel species have begun to build carriers of their own, have built copycat versions of most new human space-based weapons, and have started to develop countermeasures to humanity's more devastating innovations in munitions via cyclonic barrier technology and hyper-hardened armour. The Alliance has responded with parallel research into disrupting the ability of opponents to reliably detect human ships through heat and LADAR sensors, as well as developing a range of decoy capabilities. _

**Codex: Alliance Carriers**

_Humanity's fleets are based around carriers. Human carriers are true behemoths, with retractable flight decks, batteries of cruiser-class mass accelerators along their backs, as well as shields and armour plating equal or even beyond those of a dreadnought._

_Carriers are the core of the main fleets, and are always escorted by flotillas of cruisers and wolfpacks of frigates. The other council races have begun similar building programmes in response, but have not taken to the new class of ship with the same enthusiasm, as military tradition and lack of experience with such ships remain obstacles. _

_Human carriers are named for goddesses of war, sovereignty, victory and/or wisdom. There are twenty one fleet carriers in service with the Alliance Navy as of 2183, divided between the five fleets : _

_**Macha Class:** Macha, Minerva, Amaterasu, Pahket, Otrera_

**_Niké Class:_**_ Niké, Athena, Nemain, Pele, Kali, Ishtar, Freya, Bellona, Victoria, Astarte, Morrigan, Andarta, Hera, Juno, Neith, Valkyria_


	5. Chapter 4: Bella Detesta Matribus

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD:_

_Got a couple of complaints that this is "European Union Fuck Yeah" not Humanity, or that the US is under-represented. For those that have played Battlefield 2142, you'll be aware that the US isn't even in the game, which is the reason why the US doesn't have a lot of fluff in the backstory of this universe. But, it's a fair enough complaint and I'll add some more stuff for the US to the prologue, and the main story, when I have some time. Most of the readership is American, and I'd like to assure all of you that it wasn't out of some desire to belittle your country._

_The story has a shiny new cover-image based on a couple of propaganda posters I whipped up on a whim, the links to which are on my profile if people are interested in seeing the big versions of them. More of those to come as well.  
_

_As for this chapter, I'll let it speak for itself._

_Enjoy._

**Chapter Four: Bella Detesta Matribus**

Alexander deBankole paced the antechamber of the Systems Alliance Parliament. The entire Systems Alliance would soon hear his speech, and quite possibly all of civilised galactic society. It was to be broadcast to all corners of humanity's territories, the skies of Earth and the colonies were to be lit up with his image, as he spoke the words that billions upon billions had been waiting and demanding to hear. Non-human opinion would also be defined by what he said, putting the whole outcome of the undertaking he was about to start on the betting table of fortune.

He felt the eyes of Alice Dennison on him keenly as he walked around the space, the noise of the senators and ministers taking their seats and chatting amongst themselves leaking into the room.

He was not nervous. He was impatient. For three days, the government had said nothing. For three days, humanity screamed for vengeance. Alexander's very soul had screamed for it at every waking hour.

He had been eighteen when he volunteered for service in the Cold War. That had been a dirty war, a total war, a war where there could be only one victor. Alexander felt in his heart that this would be another such war. He hated that, as only the ignorant wanted war, but the other option was far beyond mere political subjugation.

His mind went over the speech again and again.

"Alexander, could you stop?" said Alice, who was sitting calmly on a couch, "The floor only has so much tile and concrete before you'll drop through to the one below, and pacing isn't going to move things along any faster."

"They're taking far too long!" he said loudly, "We were ready to do this days ago."

"If we had moved days ago, we would have had to deal with an embargo from the Citadel and we might have lost the vote," said Alice flatly, "Now, we have all the leverage we need and a worthy cause."

Alexander stopped pacing and sat down beside his counterpart, head thrown back to look at the ceiling as he massaged his forehead.

"Damn the geth and that turian traitor," he muttered, "I wanted to bring prosperity, not war."

"Let he who desires peace, prepare for war," quoted Alice, "If anyone is to blame, it is the Council. They sat back and let the geth live on for three hundred years. This was always going to happen, to someone somewhere. And if what we've learned about these Reapers is correct, that is even more true."

Alexander straighted up, putting his hands on his lap and staring at the door in front of him.

"May history forgive us," he said.

"History will do more than forgive us," said Alice, "We'll be immortal for this."

She kissed him on the cheek. He turned, and kissed her on the lips. A moment's glance into each other's eyes, and they turned away from each other. The noise of multiple footsteps approached from outside, and the pair stood up. The doors opened.

"It's time, consuls," said the ceremonial guard, his rifle in his hands.

The leaders of humanity were escorted to the grand chamber, a huge hemicycle. Blue carpet, white marble and hundreds of seats were obscured behind hundreds of people and hundreds of floating news cameras. The majority of the faces were human, but the journalist section contained at least one representative of each Citadel species. There were many asari and a single krogan, who stood out like a sore thumb even to Alexander. He resisted an insane urge to laugh at the huge alien's presence, an urge rooted in the fear that he was looking at the future of his own species: debilitated and left to die the slow way, to extinction.

Alexander climbed the podium, as Alice sat down on her seat. The part of starting any war was that of the consul 'of the sword', the consul responsible for foreign affairs, colonial relations and military operations. If and when the day of peace came again, it would be Alice who would stand on the podium to announce it, as the consul 'of the wreath'. Alexander swore to himself that he would see it.

He stood at the podium alone, as all chatter died down. He looked at the crowd and the cameras for a moment. All were in awe of the moment. He began to speak.

"_My fellow citizens, co-consul, senators, honoured guests. It is with a profound sadness that I address you here this morning. _

_Three days ago, an incident occurred that will be forever remembered in horror and disgust. The Systems Alliance was suddenly and viciously attacked, by a force of geth, on the colony world of Eden Prime. I regret to inform you that a great many lives have been lost. The vast majority of the casualties have been civilians, who were brutally murdered in ways that should by now be well known to all. In the time between this attack and the present, reports of geth attacks have come from all corners of the Attican Traverse. Alliance trade and passenger ships have been reported attacked in space. Alliance outposts have been reported destroyed and captured. Alliance colonies now live under the constant possibility of annihilation._

_The implications for humanity's continued liberty and survival are profound. For three hundred years, the Citadel Council has carried out a policy to contain the geth, within the Perseus Veil, by prohibiting travel in the region and by agreements with the quarian fleet to avoid provoking the synthetics into aggression. That policy has failed. _

_Regardless of the determination of our allies and friends on this change of circumstance, humanity's obligation is clear. We shall not sit back and allow ourselves to be murdered, in the most heinous fashions that can be imagined._

_There is only one option against an unprovoked attack against our colonies. There is only one response to the butchery of our children by an invader. There is only one necessity against an enemy that wishes our annihilation. Only the sword can redeem us._

_Regardless of how long it will take for us to overcome our enemy, I have absolute faith that the human species will be victorious. Nothing short of an absolute victory will deliver our desire for a lasting peace. The geth shall find no respite or place of safety in this galaxy. We humans are no strangers to war. In every generation since the dawn of our history, we have taken up arms. Now, we must do so once again in the cause of the entire galaxy._

_There are some who say that artificial intelligence cannot know fear. To that, I can only say this: we shall do our utmost to provide the geth with an education in the subject, or perish in the attempt. Synthetic or not, the geth are sapient beings. They have some awareness of the scale of the atrocities they have committed. We shall bend them to our will or destroy them utterly. Any other outcome means the extinction of the children of Earth. _

_We must pledge our lives, and the lives of our brave soldiers, to the cause of humanity's liberty, her survival, and her exaltation among the stars. I humbly ask Parliament, as co-consul of the Systems Alliance, the leader of its fleets and armies, to declare that a state of war now exists and provide for all necessary resources to end this threat for now, and for all time._"

Alexander folded the piece of paper he had written the speech on, as the chamber erupted with applause and he was blinded for a moment by the flashes of cameras.

The humans had stood and were clapping their hands raw. The aliens also got on their feet, but their faces were mostly just stunned. They had expected a military action, but clearly a real war had not been predicted. The krogan growled his approval, smacking his two arms together in a display.

A few of the asari were clapping and crying as hard as the humans.

For some reason, Alexander found himself powerfully fortified by this sight in particular. Were they widows of long-dead quarians? Friends of the dead of Eden Prime? Or just lovers of humanity or humans?

As he descended from the podium and shook Alice's hand for the journalists' benefit, he smiled warmly. Perhaps humanity was not alone after all.

* * *

Group Captain Hannah Shepard sat on the CIC of the Alliance carrier Athena, uncomfortable in her chair. They had been parked in orbit of the Citadel for hours now, waiting for orders. Hannah had been promoted twice in as many days, from executive officer to captain and then to group captain as her direct superiors were themselves promoted. High Command was infusing fresh blood into the ranks and cutting out the dead wood, and six hours ago, the entire crew had learned why. The Alliance's response to the geth was not going to be a series of quick interventions like the Verge Conflict had been. It was going to be total war.

Hannah pondered why High Command and the politicians would risk the entire species when a police action might have worked. The reports on geth numbers didn't suggest a total deployment of their forces. Whatever the reason, it was way above her paygrade, and she had no desire to know if it could shatter decades of hesitation to defy the Citadel.

An alarm sounded loudly, and blinking red lights started.

"GC, emergency action message!" said the comms officer.

"Report, Katya," said Hannah, sitting up in her seat.

"Message reads; _Athena Expeditionary Group from Space Command Terra.  
Enemy forces invading the mining colony world of Therum.  
Proceed to Knossos System, Artemis Tau cluster.  
Engage any and all enemy forces present.  
Evacuate civilians and secure Prothean digsites.  
Rendezvous with SSV Normandy in-system and render assistance to N7 mission on surface._"

When Hannah heard the word 'Normandy', she frowned. Being in a military operation with one's own daughter did not seem like a good way to start a war. The possibility of listening to or even seeing your own child die wasn't an opportunity she had ever intended to meet. She reflected that it was perhaps her own fault, raising her daughter on-board navy ships for the girl's entire childhood. Jane had signed up the day she was legally able to.

"Is the message authentic?" asked Hannah, putting her doubts aside.

"It is," said XO Corrigan, "Orders, ma'am?"

"Inform all ships, proceed to the Artemis Tau cluster, at best possible speed," Hannah boomed, "Relay our orders to all captains and commanders, and give the Army all the information we have on Therum."

The XO and comms officer saluted and began to carry out the orders.

The honour of the first retaliation would go to a Shepard.

* * *

The Athena arrived over Therum, with its attack group beside it. It had been a day's journey or so from the mass relay, and in that time, all preparations had been made. The fleet's ships had been readied for combat, and the crews rested. The soldiers had checked and double-checked their weapons. Some were veterans of the Skyllian Blitz and operations against pirates. Others were raw recruits.

Hannah examined the environment overlay, as the ship's sensors scanned the orbital approaches. A group of icons soon appeared on the hologram, glowing an angry yellow.

"Contact, unknown vessels," reported a sensory officer, "Heat blooms indicate three cruisers, a dozen destroyers, a dozen dropships."

"The geth," hissed Hannah, "Turn the ship's broadside towards them. Prep firing solutions, launch fighters and inform our escorts to form up for an enveloping attack. Get the Army planetside now as well."

"Aye, captain!" said Corrigan, who repeated the orders.

The carrier swung in orbit, its prow turning from the geth and facing away from the planet. The ship then rolled over, giving its starboard array of cannons a clear shot at the enemy. The escorting cruisers and shoals of frigates moved as well, encircling the Athena in a protective ring of ships. The fighter launch doors opened, and the fighters squadrons, who took up position in front and awaited their orders. Shuttles carrying troops, walkers and armoured vehicles began to stream out of the planetary assault transports towards the fiery red ball that was the planet itself.

"We have them nicely outgunned," remarked Hannah, watching the LADAR reports come in.

"The geth dropships are descending into the atmosphere," the XO reported, "The cruisers are moving to intercept us."

"Keep the guns on them, but hold fire until my command," said Hannah, watching the enemy split into two groups, "Open a channel."

"Ma'am?" asked the comms officer, confused as to the purpose of such an order.

"General Order No.1 dictates a transmitted warning against any hostile force that has yet to attack if it can be overwhelmed," Hannah explained, "Geth or not, I intend to follow orders and I expect you to do the same."

"Yes ma'am, my apologies," the officer said with haste, tapping her haptic interface, "Comms are open."

"Attention geth flotilla. This is Captain Hannah Shepard of the SSV Athena. As of January 21st 2183 CE, a state of war between the Systems Alliance and the geth collective has existed. If you do not surrender your troops and vessels to the custody of my fleet immediately, I shall annihilate you. Surrender and you will not be killed or mistreated."

The geth cruisers and destroyers began turning to fire their main batteries, the shots from their broadside weapons rippling across the space between the fleets and impacting the barriers of the Athena.

"That's definitely a no," muttered Hannah, wincing as another wave of shots lanced into the barriers.

"We're taking hits!" reported the XO, "The enemy cruisers moving to concentrate their fire on us!"

"All ships, weapons free," ordered Hannah, holding onto a console as the deck shuddered from the repeated impacts, "Load forward launchers for salvo fire, orient us diagonally so there's less to shoot at!"

Hannah watched the holographic representations of her ships firing, as the broadside shots from the Athena shook the crew with every discharge. Her cruisers were battering the enemy, but they were deploying countermeasures and decoy targets now. It was getting increasingly hard to target the geth, particularly at long range.

The geth had ceased firing on her carrier. A result of their own defensive tactics, as their target jamming obscured the Athena from their point of view just as much as the opposite was the case. The geth began to fire at the _Belfast_, the cruiser on the extreme flank of the Alliance formation.

The frigates were moving into range now in tandem with the fighter wings. The interface indicated the geth had followed up with a similar action. The damned machines were smart, thought Hannah, the frigates won't be able to get a clear shot with their torpedoes if there was a fighter duel in the way. The metal bastards were going to get away.

"Helm, bring the bow about to put ourselves in front of them," the Captain ordered, "Inform _Tokyo, San Diego_ and _Brisbane_ to form up on us, we're going in. Get the fighters aboard again as well."

"This is the XO, all wings, fall back to Athena," said the XO into her mouthpiece, causing the swarm on the monitors to begin moving towards the carrier, chased by the geth. The Alliance frigate captains responded exactly as they should have, using the fighters as bait to bracket the geth ones and shredding the enemy formation. Hannah hummed her satisfaction at this, but noticed that didn't matter, their purpose had been served, the geth were turning to escape.

The Athena powered forward, closing the huge distance to the geth with each second. Fighters began touching down with combat landings on the flight decks, as the cruisers pulled alongside, firing at their geth counterparts.

"Belfast is reporting heavy damage," said the comms officer, breaking Hannah's trance as she stared at the hologram, counting down the seconds until she was in range.

"Tell them to hold, they need to hold!" she replied.

She began to worry that she'd lose a ship and not have a single kill to offset it. The forward gunnery officer relieved her of the worry almost as soon as the thought entered her head.

"Torpedoes in range!" he said.  
"Salvo fire!" ordered Hannah.

Like a submarine on old Earth, tubes along the nose of the Athena opened up and the mass accelerators within them fired the torpedoes at a huge velocity out into space. Twenty five of them in congo-lines spread out from the carrier, joined soon after by the frigate wolfpack firing their own.

Hannah gripped the metal in front of her hard, watching the torpedoes progress the few seconds until impact. The weapons homed in on their targets, guided by targeting data from the Athena itself.

The monitor indicated the nearest geth cruiser was hit by a number of the weapons. Its target profile broke into several pieces, indicating that it had been destroyed. Every officer and enlisted person cheered loudly, watching the parts fall into the gravity well of the planet and begin to fall. The Captain relaxed, her hands now feeling the pins and needles. A geth cruiser had been destroyed, the gravity and space-time distortions from the torpedoes tearing into its hull.

"Frigates reporting hits on second cruiser," the XO said, as the geth contacts began disappear from the screen, "It's dead in the water and the rest are rabbiting to FTL, probably to the relay."

"With their tails between their legs," said Hannah, a grin on her face, "Contact the _Belfast_, is she still spaceworthy?"

"She retreated successfully," said the comms officer after a minute, "Reports that damage will require several weeks in port, and that they've had thirty three casualties."

Hannah collapsed into her seat. They had won a victory. A small one, over a small enemy force, but a victory nonetheless. There were going to be a lot of happy people when the word spread.

"Send a databurst to Space Command Terra informing them of the action in brief," she said, "Do we have the status of those geth dropships?"

"Still in-atmosphere, moving to escape," said Corrigan, "We won't be able to stop them."

"Message from the Normandy, Captain," said the comms officer, "N7 reports geth heavy armour in her mission area, near the Army dropzone."

Hannah chewed her lip for a moment.

"Pass the coordinates along to the footsloggers," she said after a moment, "And get me two squadrons refueled and re-armed for ground attack. They don't have Titans down there, they might need the help."

"Aye, Ma'am."

Hannah wondered just how close her daughter was to the geth, as she looked at the planet, hoping that whatever mission she was on was worth the risk.


	6. Chapter 5: Therum

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD:_

_Really enjoyed writing this chapter, because I get to smash the silly nature of the Therum mission. Why are all the geth spread out to an extent that one Mako can kill them all? Makes more sense that they'd roll twenty deep at the very least._

_Also makes more sense in this universe for Shepard to have badass backup, so badass backup she has. Polish readers may get the reference immediately in terms of their name.  
_

_Please review if you read this as well, as I would like feedback if you think I'm getting the characters' styles of speech right or not. Very important!_

_Also, added the Rorsch AT gun from BF4 Final Stand, or its 22__nd__ Century equivalent, because it's badass and the sort of weapon I would imagine an infiltratorShep would carry if s/he's going to face Armatures and Colossi._

_I'll publish a whole bunch of codex entries as a bonus chapter tomorrow night, as we've beaten fifty follows and favourites! The next full chapter will be Liara's._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter Five: Therum**

The geth moved down the valley in a great lazy herd of silver and black, avoiding the great pools of magma, the legs of their walkers cracking into the reddish-black rock and soil. Colossi, armatures and regular geth platforms marched together at an almost leisurely pace. The rhythmic thudding of their movement drifted in the sulphuric air.

Shepard watched this scene with cool satisfaction, or as much as could be had in sixty-eight-celsius heat. From her position overlooking the valley, she could sight the entire geth column, stretching all the way to their target objective. Beside her, Garrus and Wrex lay. Vakarian had his rifle out, doing the same as Shepard. Wrex by contrast wasn't looking at the geth at all, but rather was lying on his back and gripping his shotgun in a manner that made it apparent to anyone who cared to look that he was impatient.

They were waiting for confirmation that the Army were in position, and it was taking a while.

"What count have you got?" asked Garrus, as he tracked the nearest colossus walker as it hobbled by.

"At least sixty walkers," replied Shepard happily, "All nice and bunched up."

"...You seem pleased," said Garrus, "Something I'm missing?"

"There are two things you need to know about me, Garrus," Shepard said, putting away her binoculars, "I like a drink, and I live for this."

"Watching a huge enemy force march towards a civilian settlement?" asked the turian with surprise, "At least we have one thing in common, but drinking is a lot easier on the elbows than sitting in the dirt."

"No, you idiot," interrupted Wrex, "Combat. You'd think a turian would get it."

"The Turian military tends to prefer discipline over thrill-seeking," said Garrus matter-of-factly.

"You are aware of who Shepard is, right?" asked Wrex, "From what I heard, she might fit in on Tuchanka."

"I'm aware," Garrus said, his rifle bobbing to the next target, "I just think a soldier should have more than combat to look forward to."

"What else is there?" said Wrex, "Other than breeding."

"Breeding?" laughed Garrus, "I suppose there is that."

"There is indeed," confirmed Shepard.

"I heard you got up to something along those lines during your visit on the Citadel," said Garrus, "Something about an elcor diplomat and Sha'ira?"

"Who have you been talking to?" Shepard asked, rolling onto her back to check her omnitool. No message from the Normandy or the fleet.

"Lieutenant Alenko. He said he got to wait outside with the Consort's handmaidens, and that there was some... noise?"

"That was... just blowing off some steam. We had a day to burn with a meeting with the Council hanging over our heads. We all did things we probably regret."

"But humans tend to be so uptight about the whole sleeping with aliens thing," said Garrus, "I'm surprised a diehard Alliance woman even went there."

"Yeah, it wasn't all bad," Shepard admitted, "Not sure if I plan to make a habit of it though."

"There are people on the Citadel who queue up for months to see Sha'ira, and you say 'it wasn't that bad'," said Garrus, "Either you're keeping your cool, because it was a lot better than you say, or it was terrible. Which is it?"

Shepard was exasperated by Vakarian's familiarity, but couldn't help but be amused by it as well. He was an officer who understood duty, he did what he felt was necessary, and he was a marksman to boot. A kindred spirit, in other words. Almost any other person, alien or human, would have received a riflebutt to the face by that point. Not Garrus. He was ugly enough as it was.

"Alright, it was pretty good," said Shepard confessed, "I don't prefer women, but it was good."

"Asari aren't women, technically," said Garrus in a raised tone. The turian was barely containing a condescending laugh. "Or at least, that's what _our_ females tell us."

"Oh, they're _definitely_ female," said Shepard, rolling her eyes for nobody's benefit but her own as she remembered the incident, "Trust me."

"Can we get back to the real subject?" asked Wrex, fidgeting with his shotgun for the twentieth time, "Combat is one of the two true pleasures of life, admit it."

"It beats deskwork, I'll admit that," said Garrus, "Paperwork doesn't shoot holes in you though, which can be a distinct advantage."

"Gah, you only find that a problem because you're weak," said Wrex, annoyed now, "What are we even doing sneaking around on this planet anyway?"

"The Council revealed that Saren is working with an asari matriarch, Benezia T'soni. The matriarch has a daughter who happens to be an expert on the Protheans, and she was last recorded as working on a digsite here. Our job is to take her into custody. Which you'd know, if you had bothered showing up at the briefing."

"Sorry, was getting ready."

"If the geth are here, the daughter probably has something to do with it," added Garrus.

"So when am I going to see the famous Angel of Death in action against then?" said Wrex, "So far I'm not impressed."

"What about the alley on the Citadel?" asked Shepard indignantly, "That was good shooting."

"Ha! Distracted targets in an enclosed area, that was a pyjak hunt."

The radio crackled, and Shepard waved for the krogan to shut up. A moment later, the signal cleared up.

"This is Task Force Wizna to Verdun, we are in position and are awaiting your confirmation," said the officer clearly, "We are formed up for an immediate advance on the enemy column."

"We copy, Wizna," said Shepard, "Will inform on target saturation."

"Copy Verdun, hit them hard."

"Does this mean we can fight now?" asked Wrex, elbowing his way through the rocky debris around him to take aim.

Shepard answered by taking the huge Rorsch anti-armour rifle off of her back, and laying it in front of her. It was almost as long as she was tall, a boxy black weapon with a scope and monitor system. Wrex just grinned back at her as she loaded the high density round and snapped the breach closed. Garrus seemed to stare for a moment.

"I meant to ask earlier, what the hell is that thing?" he asked.

"A big enough gun," said Shepard, "Turn off all your equipment."

"This is Verdun, request a Gorgon's Head on target coordinates," she said calmly, before giving a set of numbers as close to the middle of the geth column as she could manage.

"This is Athena 2, we copy Verdun," came the reply, "Standby for fire."

"Is it wise to call in an orbital strike, Shepard?" asked Garrus, "Won't we set off a volcano or something?"

"That would do our job for us," said Wrex, not displeased at the idea, "The asari I can live without."

"Just watch," said Shepard, "And make sure everything is turned off."

A minute of switching off omnitools and scopes later, and the fireworks started. The sky started flashing, illuminating the heavens in a strobing pattern. Giant blue-tinted bolts burst from the clouds directly above, slamming into the geth, discharging huge amounts of electrical current into the area and into the geth themselves.

"Gorgon's head, huh?" asked Garrus as the bombardment continued.

"Old Earth myth, a gorgon could turn you to stone if you looked into its eyes," Shepard explained, speaking over the noise of the hits, "A hero cut off the head of one and used it to defeat a sea monster."

The orbital attack stopped, and Shepard reactivated the scope on her rifle, causing it to hum as she brought it to her eye.

The regular geth were on the ground, curled over or laying on their backs. The walkers had stopped walking or moving at all. All sound had stopped except the churning sound of the magma and the wind blowing past the rock.

"That was impressive Shepard!" said Wrex, standing up now and brandishing his shotgun.

The Commander was less sure. She sighted the head of one of the bigger walkers. She held down the trigger, and the rifle's humming rose in pitch before discharging. The shot slammed into the thing like a thunderclap, the air ignited along its trajectory for the briefest moment.

The Colossus was hit. Metal shards burst out the other side of its head as shrapnel, and the thing fell to the ground. Shepard would have been happy, had it not been for the flickering of the walker's kinetic barriers as the round passed through them. The geth armoured units were just playing dead, and stopped their deception immediately.

"Spirits, the mechs!" said Garrus, just before he began to fire.

"Athena, this is Verdun," Shepard said as the krogan joined the turian in firing, "Negative effect on targets, request immediate assistance!"

The armatures and colossi were turning and padding towards their position now, the machineguns rattling increasingly accurate fire at them with a sound like so-many angry wasps.

"Verdun, this is Wizna, we are advancing."

Shepard fired her rifle again, damaging an armature with yet another loud discharge, but the thing kept coming and its fellows seemed to be speeding up. She activated her comms.

"Ashley, bring the Mako around, we need to get the hell out of here!"

* * *

Hannah clasped her hand over her mouth as she watched the orbital scans in horror. The three blips on the screen, Jane and two of her crew, moved slowly towards their vehicle as the geth monstrosities began to close the gap quickly. An unsettling number of them seemed intent on blowing the younger Shepard away, as at least a third of the enemy contacts broke off in the direction of the small N7 team. Further away, the Army's own blips were now advancing to meet the enemy, but they were far too distant to be of any assistance.

"We need air support and we need it now!" said Hannah, returning to her military demeanor, "Roll in Red squadron on geth targets!"

"Aye Captain!" said Corrigan loudly, before grabbing her mouthpiece.

"Attention Red Leader, danger-close fire mission on N7 coordinates, launch and proceed to target area."

"Aye, XO, launching now."

Hannah directed her attention to the starboard monitor, as the fighter-bombers were shot out of the catapult lanes on the side of her ship. Twenty of them came together in a coordinated aerial ballet, arranging themselves into four v-shaped formations. They swung in beside the Athena.

"Proceed to killbox, engage hostiles," said the XO, "Friendlies close."

The squadron leader acknowledged, and the group left the view of the exterior camera. Hannah turned back to the enviromental overlay, and watched them descend into the atmosphere. A quick glance at the planetary scan hit her like a kick in the gut. Jane had made it to their vehicle, but the geth hadn't given up. They were being chased and had very few places to run.

* * *

The Mako's wheels spun in the dirt, as Ashley floored the accelerator. The geth armatures were a lot faster than they looked. The silver beasts had climbed the steep incline where Shepard had been not a minute before. The angry buzzing of their anti-personnel guns was joined by bright white-blue flashes of plasma cannons.

"Get us to the digsite!" ordered Shepard, grabbing the turret controls, "Everyone else, return fire!"

The Commander sighted the first armature, and fired the main gun. The shot detonated against its kinetic barrier, sparking as the round broke apart, and the geth staggered just as it was firing. It spat its ball of plasma at its neighbour, causing the less fortunate one to go down.

Shepard didn't take the time to appreciate the moment, as she continued firing the machinegun. The other armatures had simply stamped around their two crippled units and kept coming. Thankfully, the vehicle was moving at a good pace now, and the geth were finally getting more distant. Not so fortunately, the terrain seemed to be getting rougher, as Ashley began triggering the micro-thrusters repeatedly to get over the rocky obstacles in their way.

Tali fell out of her seat, and bumped into Shepard.

"Keelah, is this what you humans do all the time?" she asked, pushing herself off the Commander's back and into her place.

"Only on the weekends," said Kaidan, grinning while holding onto his restraints tightly.

"Never let it be said that you are boring," Garrus said, just before the Mako slammed onto the ground once again, shaking all the occupants, "Chief, do you mind not crashing us about?"

"I'm sorry Vakarian, would you like to drive?" said Ashley sarcasm at maximum, manoeuvring the vehicle over yet another outcrop of cooled lava, "Or can I just kick you out of this thing and leave you for the geth!"

Shepard turned her attention back to the turret's aiming system. Plasma bolts splashed down in around the vehicle, far too close for comfort. The armatures were having a much easier time following on the rough ground, and the Commander cursed. The Alliance used walkers the same way, so that they could attack through terrain that armour would usually be unable to advance through. The geth seemed to be trying to surround them, moving out to the left and right of the Mako.

"Ashley, how far until the digsite?" asked Shepard, after letting another shot loose from the mass accelerator cannon.

"Over the next hill, you can already see the drill towers," said Ashley. With her tongue sticking out between her lips in a moment of concentration, the Chief powered the vehicle forward. Shepard turned the turret forwards, just in time to see the shot that took it apart. For a split second, the responsible Colossus could be seen at the mine's entrance.

"Hold on!" said Ashley, charging the Mako directly towards the enemy. Shepard grabbed the driver's seat and watched the Colossus get closer and closer. It was charging another shot.

"Chief, I hope you know what you're doing!" said Shepard nervously, before strapping herself into her own seat. Ashley didn't respond, but started roaring as the Mako's speed continued to increase.

The vehicle struck the giant mech just as it fired. The front end was blasted, the barriers of no use, but the Mako slammed into the geth platform with a thunderous metallic smack. It fell over and under the APC's wheels, which came to a stop on top of it.

Inside, the occupants had been thrown about. Shepard unbuckled herself from her seat and rubbed her head, opening her eyes. She looked to her side. Chief Williams was out cold, her face lying on the console in front of her, a big smile plastered on her face. The Commander frowned. Army types and their showing off. Shepard nudged her, and she awoke with a jolt.

"Well, that was horrible," muttered Tali, getting off the floor.

"I've had worse," growled Wrex, pushing Garrus off of him.

"We'd better get out of this before..."

The sound of another plasma detonation boomed off the hull of the Mako, and its occupants scrambled for the side doors with indecent haste. All except Wrex piled out of the wreck, as the krogan had to be pulled out due to the small size of the hatch. The colossus on which the Mako was resting began to move, trying to shrug the metal weight off of its back.

Shepard swung her huge rifle off her back, and walked to the geth's head. Pushing down on target with her armoured boot, she leveled her weapon at its neck and fired. A thunderclap later, and the head detached from the body, its movement stopped.

"Shepard, a little of that would be good over here!" said Garrus, firing around the heap. She rushed to his side, popping another round into her rifle as she did so. A quick look revealed that the armatures were sitting on the hilltops, firing down at them.

"Wizna, this is Verdun," said Shepard into her comms, "Heavy enemy presence at objective Julia."

"Verdun, we are advancing," came the reply, "No ETA, enemy are doing everything they can to stop us." An explosion sounded through the air in the distance. The colonel wasn't kidding.

Shepard looked around here. Ashley and Kaidan had climbed on top of the dead colossus, using the tipped-over Mako as cover, while Wrex and Garrus were fighting from the side of the heap. The Commander looked over her shoulder for Tali. The quarian was sitting down, her legs crossed, rapidly tapping on her omnitool.

"Tali, have you got a plan?" Shepard asked, leaning her rifle on the ground and crouching.

"Yes, just let me try something," Tali replied, "We should be able to get to the mines with this."

She stood up, and climbed up beside Ashley. Shepard followed her, hoisting her rifle up to fire as well.

As the Chief continued firing, Tali pointed her omnitool at one of the armatures, pressing a button with her thumb. The computer beeped loudly, and the quarian ducked. Shepard kept looking, and frowned. Nothing appeared to be happening, and she sighted the nearest target to fire.

The thing twitched for a second, then turned to its neighbour and bashed it to the ground. The armature charged its weapon and fired it into the next one over, and turning to face its fellows and rattling off its machinegun against their barriers.

"Get to the mine!" she ordered, firing a hypervelocity slug at a mech that was trying to destroy Tali's thrall to excellent effect. As yet another of the walkers crumpled to the ground, the team moved out in good order; Tali first, then Wrex and Kaidan, and finally, Ashley and Garrus. Shepard tossed a brace of grenades at the still increasing numbers of geth, and ran as hard as she could up the ramp to the entrance.

From the height, she could see that even more geth were headed their way. Some of the geth footsoldier types had survived and were running at a pace only a synthetic could maintain towards battle. Shepard breathed hard, sitting down against the tube-like entrance and reloaded, as Tali hacked the door controls.

"This is Verdun, if anyone's going to help us, now would be good," she said into her comms.

"This is Athena Actual, bombers vectoring in to assist now," replied Hannah over the radio. Shepard's heart almost stopped. It was her mother.

No one else noticed her expression. They were too busy watching attack craft scream overhead, strafing the geth with their cannons. The heads of the armatures looked into the sky as one, and they began to fire randomly. It didn't stop the bombardment.

Too many geth were getting close though, as the foot platforms came into range of the entrance and shots pinged off the metal around the group.

"Keep firing!" ordered Shepard, removing the grin plastered from her face, "Tali, the door!"

"The geth have locked it," she replied, as Ashley and Wrex opened up with their weapons on full auto, "I need more time!"

Shepard clenched her jaw, and crawled to the edge of the ramp. Kaidan sent a ball of dark energy tumbling down it as a group of geth soldiers reached the bottom, and they were sent floating into the air. The pair shot them with pinpoint shots from their pistols, but had to retreat again when an armature dumped a plasma shot onto the gantry beside them.

"There's an army out there!" said Kaidan, "They've concentrated their forces."

"I noticed, Lieutenant," growled Shepard, stowing her AT rifle and bringing up an assault variety.

Wrex boomed a carnage shot off at a group of geth, roaring in triumph as they blew apart.  
"Shepard, look!" the krogan said, stabbing a finger off into the distance. The Commander looked down her sights in the direction he had pointed.

Alliance walkers were pounding towards the mine now, dozens of them. White and red flags flying from their antennas, they fired as they advanced, with missiles and slugs shredding the armatures one at a time.. The geth had been retreating!

"Wizna, this is Verdun, we have eyes on you," said Shepard, half-laughing, "You have no idea how good it is to see you."

"Verdun, we are happy to assist," said the colonel in accented English, "I suggest you get into the digsite while we take these toasters apart, no need to waste time."

"Copy, Wizna," said Shepard.

The mine doors beeped and slid open, and Tali took the first steps inside shotgun raised as Shepard ordered the other team members to follow her.

She took one last look at the battle outside, as the bombers came in again, dropping precision bombs on groups. Shepard turned and began to run down towards their objective.

Benezia's daughter was close.


	7. Codex: Torfan & Other Entries

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: Bonus chapter with some background for Shepard and the Alliance here in celebration of a couple of milestones. Five chapters, fifty followers and fifty favourites. Five is a good number, it sounds official. Fifty, more so.  
_

****Codex: Battle of Torfan****

_Eight years after the slave raid on Mindoir, the Alliance discovered the main batarian stronghold in Citadel space on the moon of Torfan. Despite heavy resistance being predicted, Alliance High Command was eager to seize the base. With the Navy unable to bombard the underground bunkers from orbit without damaging the ecosphere, the Army was brought in to plan the assault. Knowing they would be facing both hardened criminals and special forces from the Batarian External Forces, the Army requested an N7 team from the Navy for forward reconaissance, a decision that would prove fateful._

_The team itself lead by Lieutenant Shepard and an Army Biotic Assault team lead by Major Kyle were dropped onto the moon by assault pod, and proceeded to mark the entrances of the enemy bunkers as well as dropzones. Shepard proceeded to destroy an enemy surface base with explosives as the Alliance assault fleet arrived, killing thousands of batarians as they slept. _

_With the dropzones secure, the XIII Legion dropped onto the planet, and Shepard moved her team to assault the main entrance of the bunker complex. Despite Major Kyle being incapacitated and much of her team killed, the lieutenant succeeded, and she ordered the Army troops into the bunkers for a full room-by-room clearance operation. No prisoners were taken. The conduct of the troops and the huge casualties were laid directly at Shepard's feet, and a large controversy around it continues as questions about the necessity of the tactics used are raised.  
_

_The Batarian Hegemony withdrew into its own borders after Torfan, and the initiative in the war went to the Alliance. They were eventually pushed back to the Kite's Nest region of space by Alliance naval activity. Many batarians fled to the Terminus Systems, as there was neither enough space for the colonial population in their core colonies, nor did many wish to continue living under a brutal caste hierarchy after seeing what the 'equal' humans were capable of._

****Codex: Task Force Wizna****

_The first cohort of the V Legion, Task Force Wizna is descended from Polish Army units of the European Union. _

_Its history in the 22nd Century is covered in glory like almost no other. During the Cold War, Wizna fought in every major campaign against the Pan-Asian Coalition, surviving the defeats at Minsk and Brandenburg, the delaying action at Verdun, the defence of Cerbere, the PAC raid on Camp Gibraltar, and the Titan battles of Suez, Sibi and Shuhia Tabia. However, its most defining moment during the war was its role in the EU counteroffensive in 2145, where the entire task force was dropped behind enemy lines into its homeland, liberating a significant population that had been left behind during the initial PAC lightning offensive in 2139._

_During the 2157 First Contact War, Task Force Wizna was one of the units that took part in the Liberation of Shanxi, and earned a reputation as one of the most aggressive units in that conflict. After the war, Wizna was integrated into the Systems Alliance legion system, becoming the premier unit of the Fifth Legion, which was assigned to colonial protection duty._

_The presence of Wizna on Elysium during the Verge Conflict with the Batarian Hegemony would turn out to be crucial for the prestige and security of the Alliance. In 2176, Task Force Wizna was assigned to protect the colony, which was attacked two months after their arrival. Outnumbered nearly forty to one, Wizna held the line against the batarian military force that had been sent to capture and enslave the colony, and the attack was repulsed with horrendous casualties for the attackers. _

_After Elysium, the unit was the first regular military unit on the ground on the joint human-batarian colony of Anhur, helping to crush the slavers there. As of 2183, the unit's reputation both on the offensive and the defensive is almost legendary. As the premier unit of its legion, Task Force Wizna carries a golden eagle in the style of a Roman aquila into battle, an European Army tradition that the Polish troops are happy to carry on._

****Codex: EXALT (EXtremely Advanced Longe-range Torpedo) Weaponry****

_The Alliance's go-to weapon for medium range and orbital environment engagements, EXALT weapons consist of an element-zero warhead designed to create devastating space-time warping effects via dark energy, attached to a guidance system and fired from a specialised kind of mass accelerator. Although fired at a slower speed than a slug-munition mass driver weapon, the torpedoes are fast enough to be fired from a much larger distance than traditional designs previously used by Council species, and are far less vulnerable to GARDIAN point defence weaponry as a result. _

_The Alliance used this form of weapon to devastating effect against the Turians in the First Contact War and the Batarians in the Skyllian Verge Conflict. As a result, all Council species use some form of the weapon, often bought directly from the major state-owned arms companies on Earth. Batarian developments of the weapon have also emerged, albeit with less capable guidance systems. As of 2183, the only major naval powers in the galaxy that do not use EXALT weapons are the Quarian Migrant Fleet and the Geth, with the former lacking the resources to build or buy such weapons in the necessary numbers, and the latter having not recognised their worth given their surplus of conventional weapons ._

_The weapons come in two forms, space-based and ground based. Space-based EXALT weapons are found on all classes of ship, from specialised torpedo fighter-bombers to the Alliance Niké-class carriers. "Ground-based" EXALT weapons are primarily found on Alliance Titans, which fire a re-useable launch tube into space via a missile before the torpedo itself is launched. EXALT weapons function poorly in-atmosphere due to the size of their munitions, and the Alliance has developed weapons with a similar warhead based on missiles to replace the capability._

**Codex: The Systems Alliance Navy**

_The Navy was one of two military institutions created by the Systems Alliance after its foundation, the other being the Alliance Army. Its strategic doctrine revolves around responding to threats to colonies from central bases, and then the use of escalating force against aggressor strongpoints._

_After the First Contact War, the Systems Alliance was told with absolute certainty that it would have to comply with existing Citadel laws on navies. This included the Treaty of Farixen, which would limit the number of dreadnoughts that humanity could build to a small fraction of that of the Council fleets. Once told of the exact terms, the Alliance agreed readily, and the Council believed it had won a stunning diplomatic triumph. They were mistaken. The Alliance Navy's tactical doctrine is based on the carrier, backed up by long range fire from dreadnoughts and cruisers, its fleets organised into carrier assault groups and cruiser patrol squadrons.  
_

_The other notable difference with other Citadel species' military tactics is the Alliance's use of frigates. Humanity's experience with submarine warfare has been directly applied to space, and human frigates operate in independent flotillas of their own. This has been made possible thanks to the development of EXALT weaponry and ever more effective stealth systems. Furthermore, humanity is the only Citadel species to operate a flotilla of deterrence frigates, armed with multiple weapons of mass destruction and operating in border territories with the express purpose of retaliating against any full scale invasion with extreme prejudice._

**Codex: The Systems Alliance Army**

_Emerging from the combined military might of the two major power blocs on Earth, the Systems Alliance Army is by far the larger of the two military entities created for the organisation at the start of humanity's exploration of space. Originally divided into national military units, the Army instituted a legion system in 2165 in order to create better army cohesion. The Army is now divided into fifty numbered legions, each consisting of military units from mixed national origins. Each consists of hundreds of thousands of troops, organised into task forces which are in turn divided into numbered regiments or cohorts._

_Odd numbered legions tend to be from Eurasia, while even numbered legions tend to be from the Americas and Africa, though this is not consistently applied throughout the Army. One exception to the trend is the First Legion, which consists of the elite field regiments and brigades of every major power on Earth. Lower numbered legions tend to be the units sent to respond to crisis situations, while higher numbered legions often have garrison or support roles._

_Recruitment for the Army takes place on all worlds recognising Alliance law, but despite this, the only world aside from Earth to have its own military unit is Mars. With the history of colonial ventures on Earth in mind, the Systems Alliance has banned colonies forming their own distinct units, and recruits from colonies are sent back to Earth and integrated into units there. This measure was adopted to insure that colonial citizens would have loyalty to Earth politically and militarily, and also to insure that those born on Earth would never take the colonies for granted._


	8. Chapter 6: T'soni

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD:_

_Really enjoyed writing this chapter, had a bit of fun with it. _

_Reached three thousand visitors, so I'll probably do something about that. Was thinking of writing a flashback to Torfan into the prologue, as a timeline alone is a bit dry, tell me if you'd like to read something like that. Also considering a rewrite of the first chapter, as it's a little heavy at the moment._

_A codex entry at the bottom for the N7 Programme, as it's a bit different in this setting for various reasons. Also, an entry on Shepard's rifle, for which I've also put up a link to Youtube on my profile in case you wanted a visual representation of how it works and what it looks like._

_And yes, I do speak the Queen's English. Ironic, I know. Programme is the correct spelling for that word!_

**Chapter Six: T'soni**

The mineshaft descended for a couple of hundred metres, the circular passage sheathed in metal and lit by rings of blue lights. No sounds but air processors could be heard once the sound of fighting above died down, but Shepard had no doubt it would be easy from here on out. The geth had rallied to the mine for some reason, and the Commander was looking forward to finding out why and sticking her omniblade into it.

The group had made its way down the shaft, careful to make as little sound as possible while moving quickly as every step seemed to echo on the metal. They made it to the bottom soon enough, and another locked door awaited them there. Tali began to hack the controls again, while everyone else took a breather. Shepard approached her.

"I just want to say thank you," she said, leaning against the door, "We wouldn't have made it up there without you."

"You saved my life in the alley back on the Citadel," replied Tali, "It would be very impolite of me to not return the favour."

Shepard laughed. "I suppose it would," she said after a moment, "But I won't forget it."

"Let's just hope the rest of this mission is less dramatic," said Tali, slapping her omnitool with finality. The circular door rolled aside, revealing a deep cavern. An elevator stood alongside a bright white structure, the entrance of which was blocked by a glowing blue energy barrier.

"It looks like the cave formed around the structure," said Tali as she wandered forwards.

"The Protheans built to last," said Garrus, as he peeked over the edge of the platform, "What Dr. T'soni is looking for here must be important, usually these ruins contain damaged and powered down consoles."

"Keelah, look how far down it goes!" said Tali as she approached the railing.

"Reminds me of a bunker," said Shepard, frowning.

"Maybe it is one," said Ashley, "If it can survive being buried in lava?"

"So, is T'soni at the bottom of this pit?" asked Kaidan, waving at the elevator, "I wouldn't want to be caught in _that_ if there's a firefight."

"Lieutenant, do you see a staircase?" said Shepard, "We don't have a choice, unless you'd like to jump?"

"Ah, no Commander," said Kaidan, eyeing the huge drop beside him, "I could make it with my biotics, but I'm not sure going down alone would be the best decision."

"So we take the elevator and come out guns blazing," said Wrex, "Just the way I like it."

"Sounds good to me," added Ashley, "But can we do it this century?"

"You heard her," said Shepard to the others.

The group piled into the machine, jostling for space a bit, and it began its slow journey below. More of the shielded entrances into the tower passed them by, white gleaming tiles bathed in blue light, the alcoves punctuating the wall.

The sound of some large machine charging up got louder and louder.

The trip down ended at another platform above the cavern floor, with the elevator losing power. Shepard kept everyone quiet as she crept ahead for a look. There were geth platforms everywhere, walking about the space that had been dug out, searching for something. Another pair seemed to be fiddling with a control panel attached to a huge mining laser, its bulk filling much of the cavern. Through the blue barrier a level above the ground, an asari could be seen hunched over but suspended in some sort of stasis field. She seemed to be in despair or unconscious, her head hanging down.

"There's our VIP, and she doesn't look too happy to see the geth," whispered Shepard, "When they fire that laser, we drop on top of them."

Wrex grinned widely at that, and grabbed the nearest railing, ready to jump. The others simply looked at him and each other, before following his lead. Shepard took out her AT rifle and loaded it quietly. Snapping it closed, she took up a position beside the tower wall, ready to drop between the geth and the target. Ashley joined her, and together they awaited the geth's next move.

It was not long in coming.

Two minutes of nervous waiting was rewarded with a blinding flash as the mining laser fired, blasting away rock that appeared to have leaked into the tower itself when it was still molten. The team watched the laser burn away the obstruction, a sight that the geth seemed equally entranced by. Shepard nodded to Ashley, activated her cloaking device and dropped down.

She landed with a thud behind a geth juggernaut and wasted no time. She held her rifle at her hip, placed the barrel centimetres from the thing's back and triggered her weapon. The hypervelocity round flew through the geth's metal body, ripping its core out and sending its splinters flying. The Commander decloaked and took cover.

The mining laser ceased firing, and the others took that as a sign to join the party.

Kaidan and Wrex were the first down, the former using his formidable biotics to float down with grace as he sent bolts of dark energy at foes. The krogan simply landed on top of the largest geth he could get at. The satisfying crunch turned all geth attention to him. Seeing the danger, Kaidan ran to the krogan and sent a charging geth destroyer flying, before blowing the thing to pieces. Wrex returned the favour with a blast from his shotgun, splattering a geth hopper across the cavern wall before it got a shot off at the lieutenant.

Ashley dropped in beside Shepard as the latter was switching to her assault rifle. The Commander began firing at the geth stragglers as Kaidan and Wrex continued their biotic rampage.

Shepard turned sharply as the sound of a metal ping erupted from behind her. A geth stalker fell from the wall, a hole in its head sparking. She looked above her, and Garrus sat aiming in her direction with Tali beside him, poking her own weapon over the edge. Another shot bounced off the tower wall, and Shepard took cover as Ashley riddled the offending synthetic.

"By the Goddess, what's going on!" came a voice from behind. Shepard ignored the speaker, watching Kaidan toss a geth towards Wrex. The krogan was clearly in a good mood, as he clotheslined the offender as it flew past him in mid-air. Another pair of geth were busy shooting each other to pieces, Tali's handiwork being just as effective against the foot platforms as the heavy mechs. Garrus shot the two of them with cool efficiency, taking his time to take the heads off both. Shepard felt like applauding. Far from textbook execution, but no casualties and a whole load of dead geth. Win-win.

The Commander turned to the barrier behind her. Floating in a blue ball, Dr. Liara T'soni was spreadeagled in mid-air behind it, between a pair of consoles. She was definitely conscious now, and just looked between the two humans before her with something resembling awe.

"Well, look at this. Appears we got here just in the nick of time," Shepard said, kicking aside the nearest geth shell, "What does that make us?"

"Big damn heroes, ma'am!" replied Ashley.

"Aren't we just?"

"Hello?" said Liara, interrupting the conversation, "Could you help me? Please? I am trapped."

"I can see that. I'm Commander Shepard, with the Alliance Navy. What happened here?" asked Shepard, trying not to sound too interrogating. High Command would want to know all they could, and she was curious herself. The asari watched for a moment as the others made their way to the barrier, and she appeared to be gathering her thoughts. The rest thankfully remained quiet.

"Listen, this is a Prothean security device. I cannot move, so you need to get me out of it, alright?"

"How'd you end up in there?"

"I was exploring the ruins when the geth showed up, so I hid here. Can you believe that? Geth! Beyond the Veil! I activated the tower's defences, I knew the barrier curtains would keep them out. When I turned it on, I must've hit something I wasn't supposed to. You must get me out, please."

"Your mother is working with Saren, whose side are you on?"

"What? I'm not on anyone's side! I may be Benezia's daughter, but I'm nothing like her! I have not spoken to her in years. Please, just get me out of here!"

Shepard took a moment to think, taking a step forward. The asari's story had more than a grain of truth about it. The geth had appeared to be doing all they could to get to her, and if they had been assisting her, they would have been inside the tower to begin with. Nor did T'soni seem like the kind of person who could compel geth to follow her. She looked every bit like a young college academic her file said she was, certainly not the agent of a mastermind looking to destroy humanity. Though her biotic abilities were probably substantial all the same.

"Alright, but I'm afraid we're going to have to take you with us," said Shepard finally, "You're the daughter of a declared enemy of the Alliance, and we're at war."

"I understand," said Liara, "Frankly, I think I would be safer with you than on my own anyway, if the geth are trying to kill me."

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Ashley, venom dripping from her tone. Shepard shot her a look that insured that the Chief knew exactly what was expected of her.

"Alright, let's see if there's a ladder back there so we can get up to her through the hole the geth made."

It turned out there was a lift mechanism for the floor, and Shepard was at the Prothean console controlling the security device in just a few minutes.

"That button should shut down the containment field," said Liara, indicating the left console with her head. Shepard wandered over to it, and pressed the most prominent button on the interface. The doctor fell to the floor, landing on her knees. Ashley's weapon twitched upwards, and Wrex took a step forward, both of them anticipating an attack or an escape attempt. Liara instead struggled to her feet, and walked over to the Commander.

"Thank you," she said.

"I have to cuff you," said Shepard, not particularly liking it, "It's standard procedure for transporting a prisoner of war, but you won't be harmed in any way."

"I don't understand, what have Saren and Benezia done?" Liara asked.

"The geth attacked Eden Prime, a human colony," explained Garrus, "The Alliance have declared war on the geth, and it looks like Saren and your mother are leading them."

Liara's face was a storm of emotions for a moment as she processed this information. Shepard felt sorry for her. She could only imagine what it would be like for a daughter to be told that her mother was a mass murderer, but she remembered Torfan and who was commanding the carrier orbiting above the very planet they were on. Perhaps Hannah Shepard knew what Liara was going through more than anyone else. The asari quickly got herself together and nodded.

"I understand, do what you need to," she said, "I have nothing to do with my mother's actions and I will cooperate."

Shepard inclined her head, and put the plasticuffs on her, making sure that they weren't tight.

"You could probably break these at will anyway," she said, "If our report on you is accurate."

"Any idea how we get out of here?" asked Tali, "We can't come back the way we came."

"We can use the platform you used to get up here," said Liara, "At least, I think we can. It should get us out of here, come on."

Liara took the group to the centre of the tower, and fiddled with a panel for a moment. The floor began rising rapidly soon afterwards, taking them past room after room of Prothean technological relics. Shepard watched these for any sign of trouble.

"I still cannot believe all this, why would the geth come after me?" said the asari, "Do you think Benezia's involved?"

"Saren's looking for something called the Conduit," Tali replied, "You're a Prothean expert, he probably wants you to help him find it."

"Or prevent us from using your expertise to stop him," added Garrus.

"The Conduit? But I don't know-"

The sound of gunfire echoed from above for a moment.

"Stand to!" ordered Shepard, pulling Liara behind her as the others raised their weapons. The floor had almost reached the top of the tower.

When it arrived, the group immediately lowered their weapons. Shattered geth lay about the floor, either sparking electricity from large holes in their bodies or broken into pieces. In groups across the round room, Alliance soldiers stood at the ready, large white eagles etched onto their armour and their weapons held at rest.

Near the exit, a krogan was held prisoner, and a Colonel stood beside him. The latter approached.

Shepard, Ashley and Kaidan all stood to attention and saluted, and the officer returned the gesture, the faceplate of his armour staring at them for a moment.

"Commander Shepard," he smiled, "Colonel Kasper, Fifth Legion. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And you si-"

The captive krogan ripped through his restraints and charged. As the Colonel was tossed aside by the attacker, Shepard scrambled for her gun, hoping to at least slow the battlemaster before he smashed her to pieces. Just as she thought she wouldn't make it, a hand extended past her shoulder. The krogan flew into the air, suspended by biotics. Shepard turned, and found Liara standing beside her, glowing blue. The asari closed her fist, and waved it. The krogan slammed to the ground with no small amount of force, and roared with pain as biotic energy began tearing at him.

Shepard turned to Liara, who was still watching the downed krogan. "Thank you," she said to the archeologist. "You are welcome," Liara replied, "I hope you will forgive me for getting out of my restraints, but the situation demanded it."

"Yes, it did," said Shepard. She would remember this.

Wrex stepped forward, as the battlemaster started trying to get to his feet.

"Urdnot says hello," he growled. His shotgun barked twice, and the other krogan was dead. The Commander would ask about that comment later, she decided as the mercenary returned to the group, less than pleased about what he had just done.

By now, the rest of the soldiers had rushed to the scene, and helped Colonel Kasper off the floor. He groaned, holding his side as he was helped up.

The ground began to shake, and parts of the roof broke and fell.

"Uh, that's not good," said Ashley, looking around.

"Let's get out of here!" shouted Shepard, "Double time!"

The soldiers lead the way, leaving the tower through the original entrance that had connected to the top of the cavern. Rock began shearing off from the roof and walls at an alarming rate. As they ran, the trooper helping the Colonel was hit. Garrus grabbed the downed man, as Shepard gave the officer her hand. He took it, and limped forwards.

An uncomfortable climb out of the mine shaft later, and the door opened to reveal the Normandy hovering above, ready to evacuate them.

"Commander, hurry! The Normandy's hull isn't rated for molten rock," said Joker.

* * *

The debriefing room was more crowded than usual. The escape from the now-destroyed Prothean ruin had been a close run thing, but Joker's quick thinking had saved them all. A change out of armour, a report written and a fresh uniform later, and it was time to run through what to do next. No rest for the wicked, thought the Commander.

Yet another person had been picked up in the service of humanity's revenge. Shepard looked around the room as she fought exhaustion. Aside from the Matriarch Benezia's daughter and Kaidan, two of the most powerful biotics she had ever seen, there was the krogan mercenary with big connections, the turian C-Sec officer with a vigilante streak and a crack shot, the extremely deadly gunnery-chief who was far too competent for her rank, and the quarian princess-slash-tech genius.

Shepard couldn't help but feel even more exhausted. The more racist politicians were going to shit bricks. She could hear the indignant cries already. 'Are you going to invite the batarians on board as well?' The story about the Consort would undoubtedly do the rounds in the tabloids. And what happened on Torfan would protect her from exactly zero accusations of fraternisation, even from those who hailed her as a hero.

Everyone sat and looked to her, as she was lost in thought.

"Commander?" asked Chakwas, "We're ready."

"Alright," sighed Shepard, "First thing is first, how are our guests?"

"Colonel Kasper is sedated, he broke three ribs and was in a lot of pain. His corporal got a nasty bump on the head and bruising on his neck and back, but is recovering well. We'll transfer them to the Army as soon as transport can be arranged."

"Make sure he knows I'm grateful," said Shepard, "Without his troops we would have been killed by the geth."

"I have something that should send the message loud and clear," said Chakwas with confidence.

"We have to reward our footslogging colleagues when they save our asses," said Shepard, glancing at Kaidan and Ashley and feeling a bit better about things, "What about you Dr. T'soni?"

"I do not feel well," Liara admitted, "But I am grateful to you. You saved my life back there, and not just from the volcano. Those geth would have killed me, or dragged me off to Saren."

"Any idea what Saren wants you for? Do you know something about the Conduit?" asked Kaidan.

"Only that it was somehow connected to the Prothean extinction, that is my area of expertise. I have spent the past fifty years trying to figure out what happened to them."

"Wait, how old are you exactly?" asked Kaidan.

"I hate to admit it, but I am only one hundred and six."

"Damn! I hope I look that good when I'm your age," said Ashley loudly.

"It's actually quite young for an asari," said Shepard to no one in particular.

Most of the room now looked at Shepard, Garrus and the Chief wearing knowing smiles.

"What, I know things," she said, rolling her eyes.

"...Among the asari, I am barely considered more than a child," Liara continued, somewhat confused by the tangent in conversation, "Because of my youth, other asari scholars tend to dismiss my theories on what happened to the Protheans."

"I've got my own theory on why they disappeared," said Shepard.

"I have heard every theory out there. The problem is finding evidence to support them. The Protheans left very little behind, almost as if someone was deliberately insuring that nothing would be. But that's not the incredible part, according to my findings, the Protheans were not the first galactic civilisation to vanish. The cycle began long before them."

"If the Protheans weren't the first, then who was?" asked Garrus.

"We don't know, there is barely any evidence on the Protheans and even less on those who came before them. I cannot prove my theory, but I know I am right! There is a cycle of extinction. Each time, a great civilisation rises up, it is suddenly and violently cast down. Only ruins survive. The Protheans used the knowledge of those that came before and their empire spanned the entire galaxy. Their greatest achievements, the Citadel and the mass relays, are based on the technology of those who came before them. And then, like the others, they disappeared. I have dedicated my life to finding out why."

Shepard's head hurt suddenly. The images from the beacon came back to her, and she rubbed her head. Liara's words had put them at the forefront of her mind.

"They were wiped out by a race of sentient machines, the Reapers," Shepard said, "I received a vision from a beacon on Eden Prime that showed me the destruction of the Protheans, and Tali recovered information from a disabled geth unit that proved they are following Saren in order to bring the Reapers back."

"The- the Reapers?" said Liara in shock, "But I have never heard of them? How is that possible?"

"The beacon burned a vision into my brain," said Shepard, "I'm still trying to figure out what it all means."

"The beacons were designed to transmit information directly into the mind of the user, but finding one that still works is extremely rare," Liara said, almost as if she was thinking aloud, "No wonder the geth attacked Eden Prime, the chance to acquire a working beacon is worth almost any risk. They were only designed for Prothean physiology however, whatever information you received would have been confused."

"The geth made a mistake in their risk calculation," Shepard said firmly, "Their inexperience with humanity shows. We won't sit by for three hundred years and let them do what they want, their desire for the beacon is going to cost them. But you're right about the beacon, all I have is a series of images, most of which I'd rather not see."

"I am amazed you were able to make sense of them at all. A lesser mind would have been utterly destroyed by the process. You must be remarkably strong willed, Commander."

"Okay, this isn't helping us find Saren or the Conduit," said Ashley, her impatience growing.

"Of course, you are right," said Liara quickly, "Unfortunately, I do not have any information that could help you find the Conduit, or Saren."

"You can still help us," Shepard said, "If Saren is trying to kill you, you're valuable to him and that alone could prove helpful. Not to mention your knowledge of the Protheans is something we need."

"And, her biotics will come in handy when the fighting starts," noted Garrus.

"It would be good to have you on the team, if you're willing," said Shepard, as the asari got up.

"Thank you Commander, I can't think of anywhere safer," Liara replied, before staggering on her feet a bit.

"When was the last time you ate, or slept?" asked Kaidan, getting up to help her, "Dr. Chakwas should take a look at you."

"It is probably just mental exhaustion, today has been... eventful," said Liara.

"Get checked out," ordered Shepard, "We're finished here and if you're joining the team, I need you in good condition."

"We can talk later, everyone else, dismissed."

The crew filed out of the room, seemingly just as eager as the Commander and Liara for some rest. It had been a demanding mission.

"Preliminary mission reports have been filed, Commander," said Joker via the intercom, "I have the commander of the Athena on comms to talk to you."

"Patch her through, Joker," Shepard replied.

"Good, because I'm not hanging up on your mom," said the pilot cheekily.

The Commander turned to the holographic projector, and her mother's form soon flickered up. She was wearing the dress blues of a group captain, stern and correct in every particular. However, Hannah Shepard's face was one of gladness and relief. The two things together made the younger Shepard feel a strong nostalgia rising in her chest.

"Hello Jane," she said warmly, "I'm very glad to see you're safe."

"No small part because of your help," replied Shepard, "If your air support hadn't come when it did, the geth would have got to us before Colonel Kasper showed up."

"Well, I was simply helping a fellow officer," she said. Both of them laughed at that.

"Congratulations on your promotion, by the way, Group Captain and commander of the Athena now?"

"I only wish I didn't get it because of a war. I saw the pictures from Eden Prime. I hope you're doing alright."

"I've seen worse... both before and since. There was a Prothean beacon, it downloaded some sort of vision into my mind and it is worse than what I saw on Torfan."

Hannah's face turned to one of deep concern now.

"Do you need help? You can get put on leave if you want, your service record would give you leeway."

"No, Mom, don't be absurd. I need to stop the geth, and High Command are aware of the visions. Apparently that is how Prothean technology works, sending information into your head. It's just... we're out here fighting _another_ war. Does it ever end?"

"Only when our last enemies are dead," said Hannah sadly, "That's the only time war is unnecessary, when there are no more real enemies to fight. Look at the Council, they left the geth to their own devices for centuries, and now we're fighting because they failed to act. I think that's what makes humanity different. We understand war in a way no other species does because it's all we've known. At least, I hope so. Others see war as glorious or criminal, we see it as necessary."

"I need to do everything I can to win this war."

"As will I," said Hannah, "Be careful to remain human, if you lose yourself, you've lost even if your enemy is gone."

"...You said that after Torfan as well, and I didn't really understand what you meant by it then... But seeing the beacon's vision... I will remember that."

"Good," smiled Hannah, "But I'm not calling just to see my daughter, unfortunately. We've received orders from High Command for you. I think they were making a statement by making me deliver them personally."

"Well, what are their orders, Group Captain?" asked the younger Shepard, standing straighter.

"You're being sent back to the Citadel, along with the quarian and the asari on your ship, to report to Anderson and Ambassador Udina for some assignment," she said, "It's all very hush-hush, Anderson wouldn't even tell me when I called to ask."

Both mother and daughter frowned at that, and the latter grinned as she noticed her mother frowning. Shepard wondered if her mother's expression was the same way she looked to others, and not for the first time. She felt her spirits rising again. Although getting at the geth seemed like a better use of her time, if High Command wanted her at the Citadel, she would go.

"I guess there's only one way to find out what they're up to."

* * *

**Codex: N7 Programme**

_The N7 programme is the Alliance Navy's specialised infantry initiative for forward reconnaissance and special operations. Founded alongside the Army's I7 and B7 programmes, N7 is the final level of military competency in naval infantry tactics._

_The role of N7s in the Navy requires absolute readiness on the part of the individuals in question. Dropped onto hostile territories for forward spotting and special operations, they are the tip of the spear for any Alliance planetary assault. Recon, sabotage, harassment of enemy forces, hostile boarding actions and the clearing of landing zones and anti-Titan weaponry are all within the purview of N7 duties. N7s are often called upon to make command decisions on the ground where higher command authorities cannot possibly be made aware of the facts on the ground in good time._

_N7s are typically trained as snipers or combat engineers, and have an impressive array of equipment suited to these roles, ranging from stealth armour through advanced sensors to a variety of explosives. Biotics are not typically chosen for the programme, as humanity is loathe to risk its relatively small number of biotic individuals in a dangerous role that does not necessarily require such talents, and the Army claims most biotics for their own programmes at any rate._

_However, N7s are frequently accompanied by biotics from the Army's B programme, often infantrymen from the First Legion. Typically, a standard Navy reconnaissance team will consist of an N7 in command, with a biotic and an infantry trooper (or combat engineer if the N7 is not qualified in that area) for support purposes. During missions that expect heavy resistance to Alliance forces, N7s will command N5s and N6s alongside specialised units as required. As N7 designation is a level of competency, and not a rank, the number of troops one can be expected to command varies between each individual graduate, but gaining the designation tends to lead to rapid promotion in the Navy._

**Codex: Rorsch Anti-Materiel Rifle (RAM-Rifle)**

_The Rorsch Anti-Materiel Rifle is an upgrade of pre-mass effect sabot railgun designs that human military forces developed more than a century before first contact. A break from the standard design philosophy of firearms in service with most forces, the RAM-rifle does not fire ammuniton by shaving a small slice off a metal block, but rather a much larger high density sabot round more akin to chemically fired bullets than modern rounds. _

_Used for extreme range engagements and anti-armour duties, each round must be individually reloaded as the mass effect generator required to fire such a large bullet without destroying the weapon precludes any automatic reload system. The weapon is also bulky and does not collapse for easy carrying like many other weapons. The advantage of the weapon is that it can effectively penetrate the infantry armour and kinetic barriers of any army in the galaxy, and is capable of doing so from extreme ranges in-atmosphere. With modified ammunition, it is also deployed in an anti-armour role against walkers and armoured vehicles. _

_The primary users of the weapon are the Alliance and various asari commando units, both of whom value its extreme range and damage output in their N7 and sniper units respectively. Krogan interest in the weapon lead to the Council banning weapons of the design for sale to anyone but state-sanctioned military units, but some older models have reached mercenary hands. The Batarian Hegemony developed a copycat weapon, and it became the only infantry-based weapon that could threaten the ubiquitous Riesig assault walkers deployed against them during the Skyllian Verge Conflict. _


	9. Chapter 7: Loyalty

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD:_

_So, I added the story of Torfan from Shepard's perspective to the prologue, and already it seems to have proven a hit. I always felt the timeline was a little dry and offputting, but couldn't really think of a good way to fix that until a few days ago. The more savvy of you will recognise a theme along the lines of Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot, as well as the Illusive Man's last words in ME3 (if you shoot him). Shepard's motivations as a soldier are a lot clearer now, I think, so if you haven't gone back and read the new section, I advise you to do so._

_Shoutout to Garm88 for noticing that I said "John" Shepard was born as opposed to Jane in the prologue. I was still deciding on gender when I was writing it, so it snuck in. Fixed now._

_The story seems to have blown away another set of milestones while I was writing as well, so I guess I'll put up another bonus chapter after numero 10. If you're confused about the background, characters or events going on, drop me a PM or a review and I'll do a codex entry for it in the bonus chapter._

_As for this chapter, it's a "exactly what it says on the tin" sort of one. _

_Enjoy._

**Chapter Seven: Loyalty**

Shepard yawned as she approached the bridge. It was four in the morning on the Normandy. The night watch were half-way through their shift, and straightened up awkwardly as they noticed their commanding officer on the deck. She smiled as she passed them. She knew the feeling of the mid-watch slump quite well, not to mention the jump provided by superiors showing up unexpectedly.

But she knew one flight lieutenant who wouldn't be perturbed by her arrival.

Joker was wide awake and watching the light fly by the bridge windows and glancing at the controls every now and then. The smell of coffee hit Shepard as she entered Lt. Moreau's realm. He glanced behind his chair as she peaked at the consoles.

"Commander," he said, turning back to face forwards.

"Lieutenant."

Then silence. At least for a moment. Until Joker could help himself no longer.

"So, how was Captain Mom? She kicked some pretty serious ass when you were planetside. I think it's a little too easy to see where you get it from."

"She was good. We hadn't talked in a while, so it was good to see her again," said Shepard, "And it's 'Group Captain' Mom now."

"Well, I'm still waiting for my own promotion," Joker said, waving his hand dismissively, "High Command must be waiting for the right moment."

"You would be demoted after a week," said Shepard playfully, "Between the lack of flying a ship and the non-regulation beard, you wouldn't last long."

"I figured I could keep flying and the fat paycheck. There are some who are good at what they do. I am the best at what I do. They gotta take that into account."

"They tend to get more uptight the higher in rank you rise, Joker."

"Awww. Ah well, I guess we all can't be paragons of military virtue. I think if the geth had any idea they would be facing both Shepards on Therum, they wouldn't have bothered turning up."

Shepard chuckled to herself.

"Is that really how you see me?"

"Oh, we all know you're far from a saint, but where the action goes, you can't seem to help yourself. I certainly wouldn't want to be your enemy, and I have a deadly war machine at my disposal."

"Good to know," said Shepard, somewhat less satisfied with his answer than she was hoping, "Anything to report before I go?"

"Yeah, Tali's been doing something with the engines and she knocked the kinks out big-time. I don't know what she did, but I'm feeling the difference up here. Plus those_ hips_. I think she's still awake actually, if you want to talk to her."

"Thanks, I think I'll do that," said Shepard, "And Joker, thanks for the rescue back there."

"Just trying to get famous, Commander.."

* * *

The door of the cargobay opened, and Shepard stepped out into the space. It was far from quiet. The low hum noise of the engine was supplemented by one other source of sound. Wrex sat in a corner between a locker and the wall, leaning with his eyes firmly shut. His snoring was of a magnitude that scientists might be interested in studying. Why he wasn't in the crew quarters, the commander didn't know. He was certainly too big for the sleep pods.

With a shrug, the Commander turned and made her way into the engine room.

The glow of the engine made Shepard wince for a moment as she went from the relative darkness of the cargobay to the stunning brightness of haptic interfaces and the generators. Adams was nowhere to be seen, probably asleep like most of the crew. A few ensigns were grouped about the FTL consoles, monitoring them.

Tali was working as well in her own corner. Something like a yawn erupted from the young quarian. Shepard approached.

"Tired, Tali?" she asked, causing a jump, "Nervous about tomorrow?"

"Oh, Shepard, I didn't hear you," said Tali, "I'm not nervous, it's just too quiet to sleep."

"Too quiet? Have you heard Wrex and his snoring? You could hear that on the bridge."

Tali giggled. "Krogan snoring isn't as comforting as knowing the air filters are still working. On the flotilla, if the ship is quiet, it means something is wrong. We grow up with the sounds of our ships, and get used to them. Some quarians even have problems living on planets during their pilgrimages because of it."

"I knew a couple of people like that," said Shepard, "But I can't say I ever lost sleep because the ship was too quiet, spacer or not."

"Most of our ships have been in service for many decades or centuries, I doubt you were living on anything more than a few decades old."

"We don't need to keep our ships in service that long, usually. You'd think a princess would have quieter quarters."

"Quarians don't have princesses," Tali said, a bit flustered, "I'm the daughter of an admiral, but we're governed by our ship captains as well as the Admiralty Board, and it's not like my father's position is hereditary. If anything, it's a burden, everyone expects me to bring something spectacular back to the fleet."

"Well, when we take Rannoch from the geth, maybe that will be good enough," said Shepard, half-muttering. Tali looked stunned, as far as could be told from body language.

"Do you really think the Alliance will go that far?"

"There's only one way to end this war, and that is to stop Saren and the geth. As long as the geth have somewhere to run off to, the Reapers will have an army to use against the galaxy whenever they want. The Alliance knows that."

"...I don't know what to say Shepard, to hear them speaking about my homeworld like it's a target..."

"Don't worry," said Shepard with a smile, "Destroying it is off the table, and besides, with you helping us, there will be a lot of grateful people in high places."

"Is that what you think the Alliance want to speak to me about?" Tali asked, rubbing her palms together, "Do they want me to try and get the Migrant Fleet to join the war?"

Shepard thought about the idea for a moment.

"I think they more likely want to know how you hacked a geth mech," said Shepard, vocalising her conclusion, "The politicians tend to have more official channels than the daughters of admirals for diplomacy. I mentioned how you saved our lives in my report, I guess people read it."

"I hope that's all it is, I'm not good with politics."

"Who is?" smiled Shepard, "Anyway, I just wanted to come down and see if there was anything you need?"

"Nothing comes to mind, I'm just happy to see all this. The Normandy is very advanced, it's no wonder the Alliance has come so far in such a short time."

"The turians helped, as did some technical assistance from your own fleet," said Shepard, moving beside Tali to watch the spinning drive core, "But she is beautiful."

The pair watched the core do its work for a minute.

"Shepard, I'd like to say... thanks."

"What for?"

"You've been very kind to me, you took me along on this even though you could have easily just dumped me on the Citadel or to your superiors."

"I need the best people for this war, Tali. When I saw how you handled yourself, I knew you were one of them."

"Still, thanks."

"You're part of my crew now, think nothing of it."

As Tali looked at her, Shepard pat the young quarian on the shoulder and left. It felt good to have people to rely on again.

* * *

Shepard walked into the med-bay to see if Karen was awake, but found the room empty. Making to leave again, noises from the laboratory drew her ear. Who was messing around in there at this hour?

She opened the door to the lab and found Dr T'soni hard at work, in a borrowed SR-1 medbay uniform. The asari was stretching her arms into the air when Shepard wandered over. Liara got up from her chair.

"Commander, I didn't hear you come in," she said, "Come to check up on me?"

"No, just wondering who's so busy back here," Shepard said, glancing at the interfaces, "You seem to be much better."

"Dr. Chakwas assures me I am going to be fine, she has an impressive knowledge of asari physiology."

"Karen has some of the best hands around, she knows what she is doing."

"...Commander, I know you took a chance bringing me aboard the ship, and I have seen the way some of your crew look at me. They do not trust me. But I am not like Benezia, I will do everything I can to help you stop Saren, I promise."

"You stopped a krogan from killing me, an experience like that tends to build up trust. I'm more than willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

"I am glad to hear you say that, Commander."

Shepard leaned on the table, putting her weight on her palms as she inspected the writing in what she assumed was Prothean. She decided she needed to know more. Better safe than sorry.

"Tell me about yourself, Liara."

"I am afraid I am quite boring, Commander, I spend most of my time digging around in ruins in remote locations, finding usually mundane artefacts from Prothean sites."

"Sounds dangerous. And lonely. Considering how you handled yourself, I'm guessing it isn't the first time you've got into trouble?"

"Occasionally, I would run into indigenous lifeforms or get attacked by mercenaries or pirates, but I have always been very careful. Until the geth showed up on Therum, my biotics have been sufficient to handle any situation I have come across."

"Yeah, I got that impression," smirked Shepard.

"As for the solitude," continued Liara, taking Shepard's interruption as a compliment, "I am not very good with people. I feel that I need to get away from them sometimes."

"You don't like people?"

"I'm a Matriarch's daughter, they all expect me to follow in Benezia's footsteps and become a leader. I am more interested in the past... It sounds foolish when I say it out loud, as if I became an archeologist simply to spite my own mother."

Shepard smiled, knowing that feeling a little. Her own mother had mixed feelings about Alliance service, given that her father had died in it. Shepard for her part didn't want to do anything else.

"All children rebel against their parents at some point, it's natural."

Liara laughed slightly at that.

"You share the wisdom of the Matriarch. That is exactly what Benezia said when I told her I was going to study archeology. But it is about more than that, the Protheans are fascinating figures and we know so little about them despite owing them so much. I wanted to know everything I could about them."

The Commander almost stepped back, as Liara overflowed with enthusiasm.

"That is why I find you so fascinating, you were marked by the beacon on Eden Prime, touched by working Prothean technology!"

"I'm fascinating?" asked Shepard, "I've been told that before, but never in a 'dissect in a lab' sort of way."

"No! I did not mean to say... I never meant to offend... I only meant that you would be an interesting specimen for an in-depth study... Wait, that's even worse!"

"Relax Liara, it was a joke."

"Oh, Goddess, you must think I am a complete fool. This is why I get away in the field, I always have some embarrassing thing to say."

"It's fine, really. And don't worry, you're hardly the only person on this boat who has issues with your parents. My mother didn't want me to join the military, even though she loves it herself. You should talk to Tali as well, her father is an admiral and everyone knows it. Our ambassador even greeted her like she was a visiting dignitary when we first met."

"...Well, I suppose I have sisters in arms in that respect."

Now completely certain that Liara could not be in league with Saren and the geth, Shepard felt like she could finally sleep.

"We'll reach the Citadel in a couple of hours and I really need to rest. I'd like to learn more about your people some time. I've talked to other asari before, but they don't seem to have much to say on the subject. I should go for now."

"Well, there is a _good _reason for that," said Liara, her eyes drifting upwards in annoyance, "Goodnight, Commander."

* * *

Shepard had dressed in a fresh formal uniform, anticipating the presence of those higher ranked than herself. The orders her mother had given mentioned something about a meeting with High Command, so it seemed appropriate. Ashley and Kaidan had went casual. Wrex and Tali were both in their usual armour and enviro-suit respectively, though that was hardly a surprise as they probably didn't have anything more formal. Liara was in a new set of Alliance fatigues, her university robes being all she had to wear when she came aboard. Garrus wore his C-Sec armour, which was formal enough supposedly. A motley band indeed. Everyone except Tali and Liara were given shore leave, so the rest went ahead. Garrus insisted on staying with Shepard however.

The airlock sequence ended, and the hull plate swung away. The docking arm opened up as well, and the group marched out lead by Shepard. At the end of the corridor stood two figures in formalwear. One was the inevitable Ambassador Udina, the other was a very familiar face.

"Anderson!" said Shepard, pleasantly surprised, "It's good to see you, sir."

"My ship treating you well?" he asked, returning his former XO's salute before shaking her hand.

"Wouldn't be any other way. So, are you going to tell me why I've been ordered back here?"

Anderson turned to Udina. The ambassador smiled to himself.

"We have a meeting with the Council, it seems your own efforts and my work with the turians in particular has paid off," he explained in his unusual accent that Shepard still couldn't place, "They want to speak to you in particular. I think they're going to cave in, and grant you status as a Spectre."

Shepard's mouth nearly dropped open. The development was unexpected at the very least.

"If I might ask, why now?" asked Garrus. Udina looked slightly annoyed at the question.

"It has to do with the war. We're on the edge of breaking out on our own, and confronting us is a far more costly proposition than bringing us on side. They're afraid if they don't concede something small now, they'll lose us entirely. It has asari fingerprints all over it, but the biggest development has been your own people. The turian councillor has privately said to me that their government is actually impressed with how we've handled ourselves thus far, though obviously they are not happy about the security threat of provoking the Terminus."

"Um, excuse me," said Tali, "Can I ask why you asked me to be here?"

"We wanted to ask you a few things about quarian politics," said Anderson, "As well as ask if you could pass on a message for us. We don't know the current location of the Migrant Fleet, and we can't give sensitive information to just any pilgrim."

"And as a daughter of Admiral Zorah, I can be trusted to be discreet," concluded Tali, a hint of irritation entering her voice, "Okay, I can help."

"What about Liara?" asked Shepard, as the asari stepped forward, "The orders said to bring her too."

Anderson and Udina looked at each other, their faces turning sour. Something wasn't right.

"Is something amiss?" asked Liara, "I would like to help the Alliance stop Saren and my mother."

"Neither myself nor Group Captain Anderson ordered your presence here, Dr. T'soni."

"Then who did?" asked Shepard.

The elevator pinged, announcing its arrival. The doors slid open, revealing a squad of infantry in heavy armour standing together. The soldiers exited, and parted ways, revealing who they were escorting.

Karla Haider stepped towards them, wearing a long leather coat over her formal uniform, and fixing a high peaked cap emblazoned with the Alliance golden eagle on it in embroidery. Her hair was revealed to be black and in contrast to her previous holographic appearances, now flowed down to her shoulders as opposed to being tied back. Shepard was taken aback, not only by this appearance, but by the height of the woman. She was quite small, yet seemed a giant by force of personality alone.

Haider approached now, her escorts in tow.

"Anderson, Udina, good to see you in person at last," she said, nodding to them, "I see you've brought me my prize."

"Prize?" asked Shepard, "What do you mean prize, Colonel Haider?" The commander had almost failed to add the woman's rank. Talking about someone as if they weren't there was bad enough, but referring a member of the crew as an object was something else entirely. Shepard's hands balled into fists. Haider's eyes flickered downwards at them, and she smiled.

"_Major-General_ Haider, if you please," she replied, "And I would apologise to Dr. T'soni, but I've yet to determine whether or not she's working with her mass-murdering mother, so you'll excuse me if I'm less than polite at the moment."

Liara squirmed for a moment beside Shepard, the latter unable to determine if it was discomfort or anger causing the reaction. She opened her mouth to say something, but the Commander stopped her by gently grabbing her forearm. Wanting to say something very ill-advised, Shepard restrained the urge and thought quickly. She couldn't stay entirely quiet.

"General, I filed my report and it is accurate," she said, "Liara has no idea where Saren or Benezia are, and she has offered her help willingly to defeat the geth."

Haider looked at Liara now, tilting her head slightly.

"Yes, I read the report," she said, "But we can't simply take your word for it, Dr. T'soni. There is a process to this. We must know."

"...General," said Udina, disapprovingly, "Perhaps you should keep your personal feelings to yourself and do your duty."

"Oh relax, _Donnel_," said Haider, "I have orders to be gentle. Dr. T'soni, I must ask that you come with me."

Liara glanced at Shepard, before stepping forward.

"I will cooperate," she said solemnly, "I am not your enemy."

"Smart on both counts," remarked Haider, "I think we'll get along just fine."

"If she-.." began Shepard, before stopping.

"If she what?" asked Haider, as Liara was led away.

"I need her to take down Saren," said Shepard quickly.

"You have nothing to worry about if your report was accurate," said Haider, softening slightly, "But the burden of the security of the Alliance falls in no small part on my shoulders. I must have whatever intelligence she has, I simply must. Like I said, I have orders to be gentle and other methods aren't generally effective against asari. Satisfied?"

"Almost," said Shepard, feeling slightly relieved.

Haider left with her troops and Liara, a shuttle arriving to pick them up. The group piled into it quickly, and it flew off with a purpose.

"Brave woman," said Udina, as they watched the transport fly away.

"Dr. T'soni or Haider?" said Shepard, "I watched Liara drop a krogan like it was nothing not two days ago, and Haider knows all about it."

"What a magnificent bitch," remarked Garrus, his face clearly showing amusement at the audacity of the intelligence officer. Tali hmmed her agreement on that count.

"I'm sorry, Shepard," said Anderson, "I knew that was coming, but Haider outranks me by a mile."

"She outranks me now as well," said Udina, extremely irritated at the fact, "Intelligence agencies tend to gather power to themselves that only a madman would cross, especially in wartime."

"I hope Liara will be alright," said Tali, "I wouldn't feel comfortable with this if she was hurt."

"She won't be," said Udina with certainty, obviously trying to preserve Tali's good graces, "It would be unforgiveably stupid, and while the General is many things, stupid is not among them."

They all looked at each other, hoping that was the case.

"Right Shepard, let's see what the Council want with us, shall we?" Udina added after a moment.


	10. Chapter 8: Authority

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: _

_The story broke another milestone, you guys are great! Keep the views and reviews coming, it really motivates me to write. I have a couple of spoiler propaganda posters done up for the more adventurous of you that will be posted to my profile with the bonus chapter after chapter 10, as a thank you to you all. I'll probably use one of them as the cover image for Battlefield 2185._

_Shoutout to StarSerpent for his incredibly detailed set of reviews. He's pointed out a lot of things I already planned to address, the man was right on the money in terms of where I plan to take it. Ridiculously so in the case of two particular points. Well, except for the Starcraft stuff haha!_

_This chapter's been done for days, I just haven't had the time to edit it._

_Hope I don't disappoint, enjoy the chapter!_

**Chapter 8: Authority**

Shepard was on edge as she waited in the lobby of the Council Tower for the councillors to arrive. She glanced down at her uniform, and fidgeted with the collar, convinced it wasn't straight. A few seconds later and she finished, still unsatisfied with the result. Stopping herself from repeating the action, she shifted her weight from her left foot onto her right, trying to get comfortable. Liara was in danger, and if she didn't act soon, she would lose the confidence of her crew.

Anderson looked at her, moving his eyes off the news monitors.

"Nervous about the Council?" he asked softly, "Don't be, I have your back and so does Udina."

Shepard snorted, amused at the very suggestion. She turned her head away from the stairs to the lift, and flicked her hair back into place.

"There isn't much the Council can do to get under my skin now," Shepard said, "It's everything else. The fact we're sitting here while Saren and the geth are out there, a member of my crew being in the custody of _that_ woman, the whole damn war, and the worst thing, the Reapers."

"You're one woman, Shepard," said Anderson, "No matter how good a soldier you are, it isn't just your fight. Mobilising the kind of effort we need to do stop Saren and the geth will take time. Be patient, we'll get it done."

Shepard smiled, unable to suppress it. Anderson could read her like a book, and always knew what to say. She nodded to herself for a moment, the need to fidget gone.

"Your optimism is infectious, sir," she said finally.

"So is yours, if your crew is any evidence," Anderson replied, "Your report from Therum made for interesting reading. Getting crewmates with backgrounds like theirs all working together is an achievement. Alliance brass was very pleasantly surprised, though there are still many who are unhappy about having so many aliens on board our most advanced vessel."

Shepard frowned, and looked at the various diplomatic staffers wandering around or resting on benches among the blossoming trees. How peaceful it seemed there.

"I don't have optimism, I just care about my crew," said Shepard, "As for the aliens, Saren's plans threaten everyone, not just humans. And they're good people, Anderson, every one of them."

The news monitor's image changed from a silent ticker of items written in various languages, to a broadcast. A caption scrolled across the screen, again in multiple languages; _ANZAC Parade, Canberra, Australia, Earth. _A military parade came into view, lead by a v-formation of walkers walking steadily up a tree-lined promenade towards a domed building. The lead walker stood out, two blue flags with stars on them billowing from long antennae. Behind the armoured mechs, a huge body of soldiers marched in perfect formation. It was sunny, and the swords of the officers glinted in the light.

"The Army do love to put on a show," remarked Anderson, watching as the walkers split into two groups as they passed a raised marquee, "The Australians called up their reserves on their own, as soon as news of Eden Prime came through, formed a whole new legion out of the blue."

Shepard regarded the formations, entranced by the choreography for a moment.

"We'll need every one of them, sir," she said, looking away from the screen as if it had tried to hypnotise her, "Where the hell is Udina?"

"Watch your tone, Shepard," said the ambassador, approaching from behind with Tali and Garrus, "I'm not enjoying myself in your absence."

Shepard's heart leapt for a moment, and she turned around on reflex to face the man.

"My apologies, Ambassador."

"Don't bother, it took longer than I thought it would as well," scowled Udina, "High Command is gathering to talk to Tali'Zorah about the quarians, but it will take some time. For the moment, the Council is ready to meet with us."

The Ambassador began towards the Council chamber itself, and Anderson took his leave.

"Good luck, Shepard," he said, moving quickly away.

Tali fell in beside Shepard, and the Commander smiled, happy to see her.

"I hope this isn't going to be an interrogation," said the quarian.

"We'll just have to go and see," Shepard said, taking the first step up.

"I don't think I've seen the diplomats so on edge up here before," said Garrus from behind, "Something is up."

"Then let's hope it's good news for us," replied Shepard, "And for it to go quickly, Liara is still with Haider."

* * *

The light of the purple haze from the nebula illuminated the Council from behind as Shepard approached the speaker's rostra. All three of the councillors seemed to be in good spirits. The Commander almost had to look again. The sight was unnerving to say the least.

Udina lead the way.

"Councillors, you summoned Shepard and here she is," said Udina, "May I ask now what this meeting is about?"

Both the turian and salarian representatives turned to Councillor Tevos. Shepard's eyebrows inched slightly higher as the asari began to speak.

"Ambassador Udina, you have been withholding vital information from us," she said firmly, with every indication that she was enjoying herself, "Your government uncovered information from the geth about Saren's intentions, and you opted not to share it. We demand an explanation."

Shepard's heart dropped. They had found out about the Reapers. She opened her mouth to try and explain, but Udina beat her to the punch.

"And what information might that be?" the ambassador asked coolly, "All relevent information on Saren was given to you at the previous hearing."

A burst of exasperation erupted from Councillor Valern, before he began doing something with his omnitool.

"Care to explain this?" said Valern, as a holographic projection began.

An Alliance report on the Reapers appeared, and the salarian began to read the more potent sections.

"_Likelihood of existence of Reapers high. Visions received on Eden Prime by Commander Shepard only the tip of the iceberg. Dr. T'soni's research useful in piecing together exact path of the destruction of Prothean civilisation as well as the timescale for the reappearance of the Reapers. Recommend highest alert of Alliance military forces indefinitely. Saren most likely seeking Conduit in order to cripple human military forces, in order to facilitate the return of the Reapers. _Defence Intelligence Directorate._" _he said aloud.

"Where did you get this?" asked Udina, his voice rising now, "That is a highly classified military report."

"Where we got it is irrelevent, we have it now and we demand to know why you did not inform us that you had more information than simply a recording of Saren," said Sparatus, "If you have evidence for the existence of these Reapers, we would like to hear it. Commander Shepard, what is this about a vision?"

Shepard looked at Udina, searching for an indication of what to do.

"You best tell them everything," the ambassador growled, "They seem to have a source somewhere, they might as well hear it directly."

Shepard stepped forward. Her voice caught in her throat for a moment. She did not want to recall the images that had been blasted into her mind, nor did she think the Council would believe her.

"The beacon transferred a vision into my head, before it was destroyed. It was the Protheans being destroyed by the Reapers. The images are … too disturbing to describe. Genocide on a mass scale, fleets swept aside, lots of bodies ... too many bodies. Saren is working with them and the geth believe they are gods, which is why Saren is able to command the geth."

Shepard paused, waiting for the Council's response.

"And this is why you mobilised your entire military?" asked Sparatus, incredulously.

"We take threats to our existence very seriously Councillor," said Udina, "And we believe the evidence. The Reapers are coming and the geth are their puppets. They must be neutralised!"

"Preposterous! If the Reapers existed, where have they been for fifty thousand years?" asked Valern, "Saren is using the beliefs of the geth to control them for his own ends, obviously."

"It doesn't matter if the Reapers are real at this point," said Udina, his tone softening, "The geth attacked us. Regardless of why, the Alliance has an obligation to defend its citizens to the best of its ability. We could destroy the geth in a single stroke if you would only help us!"

"I'm afraid the Citadel fleets will not move against the geth no matter how many times you ask, Ambassador," said Tevos, her eyes hard now.

Shepard noticed Sparatus become uncomfortable at the asari's words, as he shifted his weight. Did he disagree with the other two councillors on helping the Alliance?

"We don't know enough about the geth's capabilities," said Valern, "Attacking them head-on would be too costly."

"Failing to neutralise them would be even more costly," Shepard said, "We can work together on this, councillors."

The three politicians looked between each other for a moment.

"I'm afraid we cannot risk provoking a war with the Terminus Systems as well," said Tevos, "An attempt to go to the Veil in force would result in a conflict flaring up in the rear of any assault."

"Then we shall do what we feel necessary on our own," said Udina, "Like any one of your own species would do in our situation."

The ambassador made to leave, nodding to Shepard to follow suit. She sighed, and began to turn away.

"Wait, we did not call this meeting simply to point out your lack of cooperation," Tevos continued.

Udina returned to his place. Shepard could have sworn she had seen a ghost of a smile on the man's face as he turned back.

"Commander Shepard, we have decided to accept you as a Spectre of the Citadel Council," Sparatus said solemnly.

The Commander fell into a state of astonishment. The unexpected reversal of what she thought was coming made her heart swell with pride. Reason quickly reasserted itself when she realised they were waiting for her to speak.

"I am honoured, councillors," she said, the words sticking in her throat again, "Surprised, but honoured."

"Ambassador Udina was kind enough to provide the mission report on Therum, your handling on that matter was noted. As was your crew's contribution," said Tevos, " We feel we need a human representative on the Spectres now more than ever."

"Not least because your superiors seem determined to ride over every procedure in existence," added Sparatus, "Given your history, we were reluctant before, but your actions over the past few days have proven to us that you can be trusted to safeguard every species, not just humanity."

Shepard felt relieved, and stood up a little straighter. The councillors had got wind of her new crewmates and how well they had worked together. She smiled, realising that she herself had been pleasantly surprised by that. The brass weren't happy about aliens on the Normandy, but Anderson and Udina had backed her all the way. She raised her voice.

"Councillors, I will do everything in my power to safeguard the peoples of this galaxy from the threats against them," said Shepard with a great deal more confidence, "Saren will pay, I swear it."

Another exchange of glances between the councillors, as if an unspoken conversation was occurring. Shepard suppressed a frown, afraid they didn't like that addition. She need not have bothered.

"Very well, step forward Shepard," said Tevos, "Open the chamber to the lobby."

Udina stepped aside for the Commander, holding his arm out with a look of grim satisfaction on his face. Shepard took a pace forward onto the ambassador's place, as the balconies around the chamber began to fill with people.

As she waited, Shepard's mind went inevitably back to Torfan. Standing among the corpses once again, the walker blinding her with spotlights, Earth fluttering on a black sky on the flag atop the pole. How far she had come.

"It is the decision of the Council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel..."

* * *

The Presidium was a magnificent place. Artificial sky, elegant architecture, beautiful flora, cultured people from all over the galaxy. The balcony provided a great view of all these things.

On any other day, General Karla Haider would have felt right at home. Instead, she was conducting the most boring interrogation in the history of humanity. As she lifted her cup of coffee to her lips, her earpiece buzzed affirmatives. The asari across from her had no qualms about pouring any information she needed out into the open. The analysis equipment hidden discreetly throughout the room could detect no sign of deception.

As Dr. T'soni repeated the story of what happened on Therum before Shepard came, for the third time, Haider found her mind wandering. She regretted being unable to bring the asari to a more capable facility, preferably on Earth. Not to mention being unable to use some of the more advanced methods for interrogation developed by the biological weapons division, that was also galling. The General had been ordered to play nice, so she had to make do with a standard repetition interview with biometric analysis instead. Probably for the best, given that the subject's biotic capabilities were somewhere between that of an elite vanguard and that of an asari matriarch.

"Right, stop," said Haider, finally succumbing to the instinct that the woman in front of her was barely capable of lying, "Let's talk about something new."

"But I..."

"Let's talk about Shepard," Haider interrupted, refilling her coffee, "Why are you so eager to help her?"

This should be more entertaining, she thought, as the asari picked up her own cup and drank.

"My mother is involved in one of the worst atrocities in the history of the galaxy, Shepard is determined to find her," said Liara, "She is also the only person in the galaxy who has ever successfully integrated her mind with a Prothean beacon, think of what we could learn!"

The analysis VI informed the General of some low level deception, a possible omission. Haider's eyebrow raised at the information, and decided to push further.

"You do realise that when Shepard finds your mother, she may be forced to kill her," Haider continued, "And I suppose you are just fine with that?"

Liara set down her cup.

"I have many fond memories of my mother. When I was a child, she seemed like the most beautiful woman in the world," Liara said sadly, "I do not know why she is working with Saren, but if she is truly involved in what happened on Eden Prime, the mother I knew may already be dead. She has been … distant for the past few years, I do not know why. I am certain that it has something to do with all this. I cannot explain why, it is a feeling."

Haider smirked, and took a large gulp of coffee in preparation for the next question. The interrogation VI chirped positives into her ear, the asari was telling the truth. Now they were getting somewhere.

"So, you have no problem with the Systems Alliance ordering your own mother's death?"

"Of course I have a problem with it!" Liara said loudly, "But I need to find out why my mother is doing this and stop her!"

Still no deception. Haider grimaced, unhappy that she hadn't found the source yet. The VI informed her that the next procedure was to eliminate personal bias as the source of the deception.

"I believe you," said Haider, more softly now, "Which leaves just one question."

"Thank the Goddess," Liara replied, sitting more comfortably now.

"Is your willingness to follow Shepard more than a wish to find your mother or out of some academic desire to study her?" asked Haider, as politely as she could muster, "What do you think of Shepard personally?"

The VI began reporting signs of mild distress, and her own eyes confirmed it. Dr. T'soni was flabbergasted by the question entirely, trying to figure out what to say. Haider smiled, her question seen to wordlessly. The asari began babbling, but the general simply held up her hand to quiet her.

"It's alright, you've already answered," Haider sighed in mock empathy, "I think we're done here."

_Click._

Haider turned to see Shepard decloaking, anger on the soldier's face and a pistol in her hand held at hip height. The barrel pointed directly at the general's face.

"Yes, you are done here," Shepard said, calmly.

"Ah, Commander Shepard," said Haider, "Good of you to join us."

"_Spectre _Shepard, if you please," said the woman with every indication that she was enjoying the experience.

Haider couldn't help herself. A giggle bubbled up out of her throat, which turned into a laugh, which turned into a roar. The general threw her head back and tears welled up in her eyes. The soldier had fed her own line back to her.

"Touché, Shepard," said Haider, wiping her eyes, "I guess Udina's gambit of letting all those aliens onto the Normandy worked after all. It's good to see your sense of humour is intact."

"Are we going to have a problem here?" asked Shepard, in what Haider assumed was her number one menacing voice.

"None whatsoever. I conducted the interview in a civilised manner," replied the General, "I am perfectly convinced now that Dr. T'soni here will eat her own guts for breakfast in the name of the _Pax Humana_, and you're free to take her on your little crusade."

Shepard lowered her pistol, and her expression changed from approaching wrath to interested concern. Haider watched as she turned to Dr. T'soni.

"Come on Liara, let's get out of here," she said, her voice changed as much as her expression, "I know somewhere we can find much better company."

Liara smiled at Shepard, and stood up to go. It was so transparent now to Haider that the former had feelings for the latter, there would be no question of loyalty. Given Shepard's reputation, the newly appointed Spectre would turn the asari into a hardened fighter in the name of the Alliance for the coming war. The General felt her confidence rise in her chest.

"Wait, there's one more thing," said Haider, causing Liara to glare.

"What is that?" asked Shepard wearily.

"Good luck, of course," smiled Haider, laying on the cheek as best she could by lifting her cup in a mock salute. She doubted Saren would ever be found, finding one person with his skills in an entire galaxy was very difficult to say the least. However, if anyone found the turian bastard, she hoped that it would be Shepard.

The woman herself just shook her head in disbelief, and left with her new crewmate.

Haider watched the pair exit through the door as she finished her coffee. The report on this one for the Consuls and High Command would require some finesse.


	11. Chapter 9: The Calm

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: _

_A quick chapter wrapping up the Citadel stuff, the next chapter will be the bonus one with codex entries on a good number of things that have come up so far. The posters will be put up with chapter ten, which will be the start of the Feros act._

_For the record, I am on #TeamTali..._

_Enjoy._

**Chapter 9: The Calm**

Tali sat in the human embassy, across from the holographic projectors. She squeezed one hand with the other, waiting for what was to come. She wanted to leave, take Vakarian and get out. From the moment she had met Shepard, she had been treated like some sort of plenipotentary of the quarian people by the humans. She wasn't.

When she had asked Ambassador Udina about this, he had simply shrugged and said that the Migrant Fleet had no representative on the Citadel. He had the good grace to apologise for the inconvenience, but Tali didn't feel one bit better about the situation for it. She just wanted to help.

Shepard herself had run off to save Dr. T'soni from the clutches of General Haider, but Garrus had insisted on accompanying Tali, saying something along the lines of knowing what humans were like sometimes. The Commander had shrugged with a half-smile on her face, as if acknowledging it, and then off she went. The turian, for his part, was waiting outside the main office now for the meeting to end.

So, it would be safe to say, Tali felt somewhat sick when the holograms of three military officers popped up. It had been two hours of waiting. The young quarian stood up.

The first was an older human male in a formal uniform, the second was a middle-aged female in a set of camouflage pattern fatigues, and the third was Alice Dennison, the consul.

"Admiral, Marshal, Consul," Udina began, "This is Ambassador Zorah."

Tali's eyes opened wide, the diplomat's words hitting her hard.

"I am not an ambassador, I'm just on my pilgrimage..." she began, holding both her hands in front of her, as if to stop the title physically from touching her.

"Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, the Consuls and High Command of the Systems Alliance don't relay classified information to anyone less than an ambassador," the consul said with a smile, "It's a mere formality, accept it so we can move on. Please."

"Ah.. Okay, but..."

"Good, this will be a quick rendezvous," continued Dennison, "This is Admiral Hackett of the Fifth Fleet and Field Marshal deRuyter of Troop Command Europa, the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

The other female, deRuyter, simply nodded her greeting. The male human went further.

"It's good to meet you Miss Zorah, Commander Shepard's reports on you are glowing," said Hackett, "I hope you continue to work well with her."

Tali nodded rapidly.

"Yes, she is a wonderful commander, I hope so too," she said nervously, "Umm, so what do you need to know?"

"Do you know much about the previous attempts by the Migrant Fleet to retake your homeworld?" asked DeRuyter, "According to what we know, three times you tried to return to Rannoch, and three times you failed."

An overwhelming sadness covered Tali as if draped on her like a cloak. It was true, her people had tried desperately to go home and three times the Council had almost declared war on the flotilla themselves as the attacks were repulsed by the geth with ease. The other species wanted to avoid provoking the geth at all costs, at least until humanity came along, leaving the quarians as a broken and homeless people. She swallowed the shame as best she could, before continuing.

"Yes, we tried to retake our homeworld, twice soon after we were forced to evacuate and once more about a century ago," she said slowly, "Since then, the Conclave has decided against trying to attack and the Admiralty Board has thought it suicidal. The Council made us agree never to attack again after the third attempt failed."

"So the quarians have no intention of retaking their homeworld?" asked Hackett.

"When I left the flotilla, we didn't," said Tali, "My father has always advocated it, but he was always in the minority. We just aren't strong enough on our own."

Hackett frowned for a reason Tali couldn't figure out, while Dennison looked thoughtful for a moment. What did these humans really want?

"You seem to have highly effective electronic countermeasures against geth mechs, can those not be applied to help your cause?" asked DeRuyter.

"They only work on geth units for a small period of time, and the more units in a platform there are, the less effective hacking is," Tali explained, "Hacking ships is not possible, and even the larger classes of geth mechs cannot be successfully disrupted for more than a second or two."

"If you're willing, we'd like to see what you have anyway," asked Hackett, "Any advantage is better than no advantage."

"Does our declaration of war change things?" asked Dennison, moving the conversation back to a subject she was obviously more comfortable with.

"I don't know, it's possible," said Tali, "The flotilla has a positive attitude towards humans because of the agreement we signed, but I don't think they believe you'll fight the geth to the bitter end."

"We'll see about that," declared DeRuyter proudly, "My girls and boys won't rest until the geth are laying at our feet, shattered."

Dennison rolled her eyes, lifting Tali's spirits slightly.

"You'll have to excuse the general, she was promoted for her competence in battle, not her tact," said the consul, glancing at the officer in question as she did so, "As the batarians discovered to their cost."

Tali didn't know what to say to that. The field marshal was smiling as if she had just been complimented, but Tali didn't think what had been said was intended as that. Humans could be so strange sometimes.

"Anyway, we might as well get to the real point of why you're here," said Dennison finally, "I've heard enough. Hackett, brief her."

"Yes, ma'am."

The consul's image disappeared from the communicator, followed a moment later by the field marshal. The admiral hesitated for a moment.

"I apologise if my colleagues were overzealous," said Hackett, "Sometimes, I think half of the animosity humanity faces from other species is due to our own lack of manners."

"It's okay," said Tali, appreciating the thought, "I just didn't expect to be questioned about the homeworld is all."

"A sad subject for you, I'm sure, but the field marshal wasn't lying when she said we're in this for absolute victory," said Hackett, "This war will end either with humanity's destruction or the liberation of Rannoch."

Tali's hopes rose. Shepard had said the same thing, and she believed it, but it was something else entirely to hear it from the most senior Alliance officer in the galaxy. Maybe she would see the homeworld after all.

"Is that the message you want me to pass to my father?" she asked.

"Not exactly, although we don't object to it," Hackett continued, "Our message is more specific. Are you familiar with the former quarian colony of Ket'osh?"

"It was the furthest colony from Rannoch, and the last to fall to the geth," said Tali sadly, "But they abandoned it, and before we could reclaim it, pirates and corporations moved in and the Council prevented us from attacking in order to avoid a war with the Terminus Systems."

"Well, the geth have reoccupied it and the Alliance means to take it," said Hackett, "There is a sophisticated tracking array there that cannot be left in geth hands. It isn't inhabited by humans, so we can't spare the troops to hold the whole planet. We have the whole Traverse to defend and our army is still mobilising. We would like the Migrant Fleet to reoccupy it once we have eliminated the geth there, inform them they can return as soon as the news breaks that we've retaken it."

Tali was surprised. She thought the message would be a formal offer of alliance between humanity and the quarians, but it was a lot less important than that.

"You aren't going to request the flotilla's help against the geth?" asked Tali.

"Not at this time," said Hackett, "This is our fight, for now."

"I can pass your message on, Admiral," Tali said, unhappy about the lack of detail, "But why are you doing this? You could defend your worlds and leave the geth in the Veil, the Council would probably help you."

"Many reasons, Miss Zorah," said Hackett, "But if I had to choose one, I would say it was because we are human."

Tali couldn't help but grin under her helmet. Once upon a time, she would have been confused at the admiral's statement, but a week with the Commander had educated her on the subject of humanity. Their determination approached insanity, if Jane Shepard was any example. They were an all or nothing species. No wonder the Council feared them.

"I think I'm beginning to understand what people mean by that," said Tali, as her omnitool started beeping.

* * *

Liara waited quietly in the taxi as it made its way from the Presidium. The smell of old-leather drifted in the air, as Shepard leaned forward and directed the driver. The sights and smells were hypnotising. She found her eyes wandering for a moment, onto the blood red hair of the Commander. She had never laid sight on anything like it before meeting Shepard. It seemed to flow off the top of the human's head like a waterfall, splashing onto her shoulders. The colour seemed beautiful and ominous at the same time.

Shepard sat back now, and Liara scrambled to look anywhere else.

"Is something wrong?" Shepard asked, looking at Liara now with some concern.

Liara glanced at the human quickly. Almost luminous green eyes stared back. Panic began to set in. She had noticed.

"Nothing at all," Liara replied as calmly as she could muster, "I am just very glad to be away from the General and her questioning."

Shepard's expression hardened, her eyes going from open to slightly closed and her mouth tightening. Liara watched captivated. Why did this woman care so much?

"I am sorry we did not give you a good first impression," said Shepard, "But I hope you'll be more comfortable on the Normandy."

"My first impression of you was of a geth that had been trying to kill me exploding into pieces and you saving me," said Liara, the edges of her mouth lifting into a small smile, "I do not think a few hard questions are going to form an impression over than that."

Shepard grinned now, her eyes looking upwards. Liara watched them. She wondered what that meant.

"That was a good shot," said Shepard finally, her eyes returning to meet Liara's own.

Liara let out an exasperated sigh. She had almost forgot that Shepard was a soldier and so was quite at home in combat, but she sensed something else. The bravado felt hollow to her. She put the thought aside, reminding herself to ask later in a more appropriate setting, and turned her attention to the here and now.

"So, where are we going?" asked Liara.

"Zakera Ward," Shepard replied, "Lieutenant Alenko and Chief Williams are holding down the fort in a spot the Alliance Army likes with Wrex."

Liara frowned. Socialising was not her preferred activity, drinking even less so.

"Don't worry, it's a quiet enough place," Shepard said in a reassuring tone, "Cozy is how Ashley put it, I think."

Liara was not reassured however. She barely understood humans, never mind negotiating the social cues of a krogan mercenary who had been drinking. She crossed her arms and turned to watch the skyline fly by. It calmed her.

Suddenly, Shepard's omnitool started beeping, strobing red light filling the skycar's rear compartment.


	12. Codex: Karla Haider & Other Entries

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD:_

_So here's the bonus chapter for passing the big 100 mark on both followers and favourites, as well as expanding the universe. The posters will go up with the next full chapter as a thank you for reaching 150 followers. Not sure why more people follow than favourite, but I guess the story is far from complete, so it makes some sort of sense._

_The codex entries today will be Karla Haider's backstory, the much-mentioned Human-Quarian Accord, the 13__th__ Legion that stormed Torfan with Shepard, and a more general article on human colonisation._

_Had a lot of fun with this as well, I hope you all enjoy it!_

**Codex: Karla Haider**

_Karla Haider is a Major-General in the Systems Alliance Army and intelligence liason to the Consuls. Born in 2150 in Berlin as Karla von Habsburg, she is the sole heir to the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, the pretenders to the throne of Austria. As almost the entire family of the von Habsburgs died and their property was destroyed when PAC forces captured Austria in the Cold War, Haider was educated in France. After studying law and political science in various European and American universities, she joined the Alliance Army via the Direct Entry Officer programme and was assigned to the Legio XXI Germania as an air assault officer under her mother's maiden name._

_Haider saw her first action during the retaliatory assault on Anhur by the Alliance against the batarian slavers, distinguishing herself by predicting where enemy counterattacks would arrive as well as leading her platoon to capture an enemy headquarters entirely intact. This lead to a transfer to the 21st Legion's staff intelligence group. During the course of the Verge Conflict, she was rapidly promoted for her uncanny ability to read the enemy and astute intelligence analysis. She lead the team that eventually identified Torfan as the source of enemy pirate attacks in 2178._

_After the ceasefire with the batarians, Haider was again transferred, this time to the Defence Intelligence Directorate as a military staffer. Her activities during this time are highly classified, but a whistleblower eventually identified her as a key figure in the foiled assassination of Alice Dennison, then the leader of the opposition and head of the conservative People's Party. When the election of August 2182 placed Dennison in power as part of a grand-coalition government with Alexander deBankole's Labour Party, Haider was appointed official intelligence liason for the consuls._

_Karla Haider's formal titled address is Her Imperial &amp; Royal Highness, Karla von Habsburg, Imperial Princess and Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Jerusalem, Royal Princess of Hungary and Bohemia._

* * *

**Codex: The Human-Quarian Accord**

_The Treaty of Rayya, or the Human-Quarian Accord as it is more commonly known, is a diplomatic agreement between the Systems Alliance and the Quarian Migrant Fleet for a variety of purposes. It was signed in early 2173, after human attempts to force a more proactive policing regime in the Attican Traverse from the Citadel Council failed. The Alliance realised that it alone would more than likely have to secure its colonies from pirate attacks as well as aggression by the Batarian Hegemony, but human technical mastery of the various technologies required to compete was still lacking. With the turians still playing hardball, the Migrant Fleet seemed the best option._

_Negotiations were launched in mid-2172, and the terms of the treaty were more comprehensive than either negotiating government originally intended. At first, the proposal was for a straight exchange of technical knowledge for two of the Alliance's new Niké-class carriers that were then under construction. However, the need to integrate the new technologies, laws on immigration and security preventing access to territory, the lack of a lasting accord leaving the Alliance open to attack from ships it built itself, and a political will to upstage the Council species all converged to create an ever more complex treaty._

_In the end, the Alliance gained all the technological assistance it wanted, a joint technical education programme for the training of human and quarian engineers, and a technology sharing agreement. The Migrant Fleet gained a visa agreement whereby all quarians on their pilgrimage had the right to claim permanent residency on any Alliance colony, a diplomatic assistance and security agreement that allowed any quarian to use human diplomatic services, and a ship-building agreement. The original proposal for two Niké-class carriers was scrapped in favour of three Aphrodite-class colony ships after the Alliance Parliament objected to arming other species with capital ships. The quarians accepted this change mainly due to the fact that the two classes of ship were almost identical bar their equipment load, and they required room more than weaponry at the time of the agreement._

_The treaty was criticised when it was signed in the human media as being too favourable to the quarians, but these concerns were soon swept aside when the technical optimisations allowed the Alliance military to crush opposing batarian forces with contemptuous ease. The agreement also pushed the turians into a technical cooperation project with the Alliance, as human technical expertise threatened to surpass that of the Hierarchy. The Treaty was signed on the Quarian liveship Rayya by Consul Taro, and has been considered a case study in foreign affairs history ever since._

* * *

**Codex: Legio XIII Borealis**

_Legio XIII Borealis is the thirteenth legion of the Systems Alliance Army, composed of task force elements from Sweden, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Finland, and the Baltic states. It is the spiritual successor of the EU's Nordic Battlegroup and the Quebec units of the Canadian Army. The reputation of the legion is one of ruthlessness and cunning, with a well earned expert-status in urban warfare as well as on irregular terrain. _

_The legion is said to be unlucky and full of rebels due to its name and the history of the units assigned to it. When the legion system was being organised, there was some debate as to whether or not the number 13 should be skipped in the command structure. This was due to both associations with the old Earth superstition around the number, as well as the historical precedent of Caesar's Thirteenth Legion marching on Rome and ending the Roman Republic once and for all. Eventually such considerations were dismissed, but the moniker of it being the "Rebel Legion" stuck after French-Canadian, Irish and Baltic units were assigned to it._

_Its history after formation did nothing to change its reputation. During the attack on Anhur, it suffered heavier casualties than any of the other six legions assigned to the campaign and accusations of summary executions of slaveholders were laid at its feet. It later was selected for the operation against the pirates on Torfan, during which it suffered horrendous casualties and killed the batarians to the last man despite general orders to the contrary, solidifying the notion that it was both unlucky and rebellious. Despite these circumstances, the legion is well regarded by many sections of Alliance High Command, as it gets the job done at any cost and its soldiers have a hardened attitude. It is a political hot potato however, with more dovish elements of the Alliance Parliament occasionally demanding its dissolution or restructure and hawkish elements backing its actions._

* * *

**Codex: Human Colonisation**

_Colonisation of garden worlds by humanity has happened at a pace that has astonished every other spacefaring species. With Earth still under serious strain due to cold conditions, the Systems Alliance has long prioritised colonisation efforts and has no lack of volunteers. Humanity now possesses hundreds of colonial settlements, with hundreds of thousands leaving Earth every year. This has not threatened to depopulate Earth however, as the space freed up by colonists emigrating has allowed opportunities for those staying behind as well. _

_The practicals of colonisation are generally handled as a public-private partnership, with private companies, cooperatives or community groups being assigned the rights to colonise areas and the government pitching in the cost for making such colonies viable. Illegal settlement is dealt with harshly, as only chartered colonies have legal title to the land they settle under Alliance law. This has lead to a rash of unrecognised colonies further out from Alliance space. Many of these were once located in the Skyllian Verge, but came under Alliance control after the conflict in that region ended. Now, the majority of independent colonies are in the Terminus Systems, and show no signs of slowing there as the Alliance continues its far more orderly colonisation of the Attican Traverse. _

_Since the development of hostile human-batarian relations, the Alliance colonisation programme has included the construction of huge colony ships, designed for the rush for the Verge worlds but now operated in every theatre of human expansion. Their designs are essentially the same as Alliance Navy carriers, but lack the fighter launch and recovery capabilities of those vessels and instead have far larger passenger capacities, larger holds and heavy lift shuttles for deployment of colonial equipment. The Turian Hierarchy has criticised the construction of such ships from the beginning, theorising that they could be converted into fleet and escort carriers essentially at the drop of a hat. The Alliance however has continued the building programme for such ships, saying that size restrictions on cargo vessels do not exist and arming them in a time of war is not illegal under Citadel law._


	13. Chapter 10: The Storm Arrives

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD:  
Big chapter, and the first of Feros' arc. Going ever more off the tracks in terms of the canon now. Could have AUed it entirely and put all of it somewhere else, but frankly I find Feros to be very interesting as a setting, so it stayed in. Can't say the same for Noveria, but we'll see._

_Oh, and humanity invented thermal clips in this canon. Because we're awesome._

_As promised, three new posters are up on my profile page for breaking the 150 follower mark. Two are spoiler posters, one for this story and one for the next one, and a third is another recruitment poster I whipped up on a whim. _

_Shoutout to Midweekcomic13 for correct use of the word 'feck' in a review (a very Irish word) and for a correct conclusion on where the turians can put their objections to human shipbuilding projects. HFY._

_Hope you like where I'm going with this, enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter Ten: The Storm Arrives**

"_As of tonight, nineteen colonies of the Systems Alliance are under geth assault in the Attican Traverse. It is not yet known why colonies in the Terminus Systems have not been attacked, but we have warned these settlements. After our triumph over the skies of Therum, we anticipated a counterattack. We denied the geth what they sought most, an easy victory and a human race that stood by while it was attacked. Instead, we have taught them that we will not go quietly into the night. _

_This latest set of atrocities is their response. We stand at the highest defence condition, ready for action. All fifty one legions have been mobilised, and all fleets are as of this moment transporting our troops to defend our colonies. Volunteers for service have filled our recruitment offices, and there are now more humans under arms than at any other time in our history..."_

Shepard turned off the news clip of Consul deBankole with a tap of her omnitool, and turned to face the others in the briefing room. She tried to soften her expression, but couldn't. The faces of her crew were equally serious, waiting for her to begin. She sighed, before breathing in deeply to start.

"Saren has started an all out attack on the colonies in the Traverse," said Shepard, "Our own fleets outnumber theirs by a considerable degree, but they're not sticking around to fight. They're landing on colonies, abducting as many people as possible and..."

The words failed to come out. She looked at Ashley, involuntarily. The Chief's face was a caricature of wrath. A snarl worthy of a shebear was on the woman's face, her eyes glowing with hatred. Shepard felt herself infected by it, and she cleared her throat as her words returned to her.

"Well, you've seen the pictures and some of you were on Eden Prime. They're turning people into monsters, as many as they can find, and then leaving before they can be destroyed. Everywhere except here."

Shepard pointed to the viewscreen. A grey and cloudy planet appeared, and several images of skyscrapers piercing a veil of fog and dust flanked it. Shepard was immediately reminded of pictures of the Texas metropolis back on Earth, one of which used to hang on the wall of her mother's cabin. And probably still did.

"Feros. American colony, founded in 2178, government sits in Zhu's Hope, sponsors include ExoGeni Corp, Yutani Corp, American Space Colonisation Fund Charity," said the ship's VI, as it brought up more pictures and flashed them in sequence.

"There are three thousand people living on those spires, with an army of geth surrounding them," said Shepard quietly, "And no Alliance garrison."

"Is the colony still safe?" asked Kaidan.

"The main spire remains in our hands for now, most of the colonists fled there," said Shepard, not adding that several outer spires had fallen to the geth. She didn't want to think about what was going on in those too much, and certainly didn't want to answer questions about them just yet.

"American colonies have obligatory weapons training," Ashley added, "They'll hold out until we get there."

"Wise policy," said Wrex, "But what are we doing here? Aren't you a Spectre now Shepard? This seems more like a job for regular military or mercs than Council Spectres."

"The geth aren't putting people up on the 'dragons' teeth' and they're assaulting the colony instead of just destroying it," Shepard explained, "There's something there the geth want, and if the geth want it, Saren wants it."

"So you think he's there?" asked Garrus, "Isn't that a long shot?"

"I know it is, but both the Council and Alliance High Command want us to check it out, and even if Saren isn't on Feros, there are still three thousand colonists who are in danger," said Shepard, "The geth are there for a reason, so we do our jobs, look around and make damn sure they don't get what they want."

"And if Saren is there?" asked Liara.

"Then we cap his turian ass," said Ashley loudly, "Along with _anyone_ helping him."

Shepard winced. The Chief's emphasis on 'anyone' was meant for Liara, and she thought it more than a little cruel to put it so bluntly. 'Turian ass' wasn't exactly how she would have phrased it in front of Vakarian either. She opened her mouth to rebuke the Chief, but she found she couldn't do it. Ashley was also having a rough time. When the news came through, the journalists had put gratuitous shots of geth dragging people away all over the Citadel. Shepard couldn't help but feel this reaction was related to that, considering Ashley had probably seen the images after more than few drinks.

"Can we expect reinforcements?" asked Kaidan, turning matters in a more sensible direction, "We can't take on a whole geth army by ourselves."

"Maybe we can," said Garrus, "From what I've seen, all we need to do is sit sipping drinks and let the Commander do the work."

The tension broke, and a few grins shone around the room. Garrus looked genuinely pleased with himself.

"Do the drinks have little umbrellas on them?" asked Tali, earning a few smirks of her own.

Shepard smiled like an idiot herself. At least some of the thinking was still positive, even if it was comic use of her rather unflattering reputation. Putting aside the thought as some weight lifted from her heart, she answered Kaidan's question.

"Troop Command Columbia is sending a task force, but we don't have an ETA," said Shepard, "Things are a mess right now, there are larger colonies under attack. We'll hold the geth long enough for them to arrive."

"Sounds like a plan," said Wrex, "When do we get there?"

"Nine hours," replied Shepard, "So everyone get some sleep, and let's go kick some geth ass."

A wave of acknowledgements went around the room, and everyone made to leave.

Ashley got up last, and Shepard quickly waved her over before she could escape. The Chief complied, saluting and standing at attention. Trouble was afoot. Shepard knew this almost robotic adherence to military protocol well. It was like looking into a mirror of her past, before she met Anderson.

"At ease, Ashley," said Shepard, wanting to break the Chief's attitude, "Are you alright? I heard the geth were all over the news."

"I'm ready for the mission, ma'am," replied Ashley, "Anything else is secondary."

Shepard frowned. Williams was a hard woman to crack. The Commander became annoyed at the soldier for a moment, but felt guilty about it soon after. After all, she had been there too, and she couldn't think of anything to say without feeling like a hypocrite. Luckily, there was time.

"I want to speak to you in the morning, before we go groundside," said Shepard, "Get some rest, that's an order."

* * *

"Thirty minutes until Feros orbital," said Joker over the comms.

Shepard began checking her weapons on instinct. The thirty minute marker was a long tradition in the Alliance Naval Infantry. Drilled into every recruit who selected the N programmes as an elective specialisation, the Commander repeated the process she learned years earlier on Earth during basic training. Sidearm first, then her main weapon, then her heavy weapon, her explosives, and finally, her omnitool.

She was not expecting anything to be out of order, as she had checked and prepared her equipment about an hour earlier, but the routine calmed her before her tasks began. First of all, she would have to talk to Chief Williams. Kaidan had approached her soon after the evening briefing and told an ugly tale about what had happened on the Citadel during their leave. There had been a brawl, but the Lieutenant had been unable to find out what caused it.

Shepard had been surprised at this, as Ashley had not a stratch on her when she reported back to the Normandy the night before, and her service record indicated near-perfect discipline. The Commander had a feeling it might be something she shouldn't get involved in, but she felt great empathy with Ashley's situation and duty called.

As the rest of the crew donned armour and equipment, Ashley was in a corner by herself beside a weapons bench, attaching a scope modification to her assault rifle. Shepard sighed. Her isolation from the rest of the team was not a good sign.

"Chief, can I have a word?" said Shepard as soon as she was out of earshot of the others, her tone insuring that the question was not taken as anything but an order.

"Yes ma'am," said Ashley, turning from her work, "I'd like to apologise for my behaviour yesterday, I was out of line and I know you were only trying to help."

"It's okay to have problems, Ashley," said Shepard softly, "I've had more than a few myself, but keeping it bottled up and letting it interfere with your duty isn't the way to go. You're part of my crew now, if you need to talk to someone, my door is always open."

"Thanks Shepard," Ashley said, looking a bit awkward now, "I had a rough time on the Citadel, and I didn't sleep very much the night before."

"Lieutenant Alenko said you got into a fight, what was that about?" asked Shepard as delicately as she could. She didn't want to imply that there would be disciplinary proceedings.

"Some bastard corporal recognised my name as the news about the geth came through," Ashley explained, "Got offended that I was in uniform at all."

"I don't understand, your name?" said Shepard, confused as to how that would set off a bar melee.

"I'm the granddaughter of General Williams, of 'the only human to surrender to an alien' fame. Some in the Alliance don't take kindly to me being around."

Something in Shepard's mind clicked. The pieces all fell into place, and not just about the brawl. Ashley's attitude to everything was now much clearer. A grin fell across her face.

"You must be crazy to be in the Army with that over your head," said Shepard, "No wonder you've only made Gunnery-Chief. With your record, you should outrank Kaidan by now."

"Superiors have been finding ways to keep me away from anything like a promotion," said Ashley, "My family is military, and all of those that have served since Shanxi have been given middle of nowhere posts in garrison or support units. Didn't stop my dad from serving and it certainly isn't going to stop me."

"We have a lot in common, my family is military too," said Shepard, smiling as she approved of the Chief's determination.

"Umm, no offence Shepard, but your family is navy," said Ashley, cheering up, "That's not real military."

Shepard crossed her arms, gasping with exasperation, while the Chief simply giggled. She was tempted to make a remark about glacier crawlers and their big talk, but the sight of Ashley actually being amused was enough to stifle the urge. Far better than the almost inhuman hatred that burned in her eyes the day before.

"Good to see your sense of humour is intact, Gunnery-Chief," said Shepard, her deepest frown affixed firmly.

"I know you're an N7 Shepard, so respect where it's due," said Ashley, recovering well, "Tends to be less cozy groundside than on ships, and I guess you get that."

"Yeah, a little too well," said Shepard wistfully. Torfan sprung to mind like an opened jack-in-the-box. "I guess we've both seen some things we'd rather not."

"Nature of the beast," said Ashley, "It can get to us sometimes, but we've got to keep marching."

"Exactly," said Shepard, pleased that her subordinate had cheered up, "Are you ready to do this?"

"Yeah, I got a good night's sleep," replied Ashley, hefting her rifle from the table and into her arms, "And you've helped, ma'am."

"Just doing my job," smiled Shepard. She was glad she had gotten through to the Chief, and pat her on the shoulder as she made to talk to the others.

The comms buzzed, and Pressly's voice filled the air.

"Commander, you're going to want to come to CIC," he said, "We're picking up a large navigational hazard."

Shepard cocked her eyebrow up. There was something in orbit over Feros, but not a geth fleet?

"You guys, get ready and get up to the airlock as soon as possible," she said to the group, before heading to the elevator.

* * *

"As you can see Commander, it's a debris field," said Pressly, bringing up the sensor reading on the holographic projector, "Quite large as well, there's enough out there that it could be a small flotilla's worth of wreckage. We're not going to be able to get a good reading on it until we drop out of FTL."

"There wasn't an Alliance naval group assigned here," stated Shepard, "It can't be the reinforcements, can it?"

"No, they're still en route, and we have no record of any Navy task group assigned to this mission except our own," said Pressly, "Something is up."

"How long until we arrive, Joker?" asked Shepard via the comms.

"Couple of minutes," came the reply, "I need to drop us further out because of the junk floating around, but it won't take us long to get past that either."

"I'm heading up to the bridge now," said Shepard. She wanted to get a good look at this with her own eyes.

A swift walk later, and she was at Joker's side, watching the monitors.

"Commander, I've got a bad feeling about this," said Joker ominously. Shepard felt like slapping him on the back of the head. Inviting fate to make it a bad day was not something she appreciated at the best of times.

"Joker, I want you to give us a slow pass of the debris field when we drop out," said Shepard, "Whatever it is, it shouldn't be here and it's too much of a coincidence."

"Yes, ma'am," said Joker, tapping on the controls casually.

A minute later, the shifted light stopped and the Normandy slowed. The view from the windows was filled with orbiting pieces of metal, spinning and crashing into each other.

"This is definitely the remains of ships," said Shepard over the comms, "Any idea what it is?"

"I'm picking up an IFF now, Commander," said Joker, "It's on an emergency autocycle, reads SSV Hathor."

"Pressly, what can you tell us about that?" asked Shepard, unfamiliar with the name.

"Aphrodite-class colony ship, assigned to ExoGeni Corporation for colonial expansion work," said Pressly after a moment, "They're the size of a fleet carrier, which explains the debris field's size. They're not as tough as one, but it would take a serious beating to reduce it to the scrap we're seeing."

"Oh great, so it's an orbiting graveyard," said Joker, "Can we get out of here Commander, this is giving me the creeps."

"Are you picking up any distress calls from the wreckage?" asked Shepard.

"None, the IFF turned itself on again after we turned our own back on," replied Joker, "Seriously, I don't want to run into any floating corpses, that would ruin my sleep for weeks."

Shepard rubbed her chin for a moment. A colony ship where it wasn't supposed to be, destroyed presumably by the geth in a very complete way, no survivors and over a planet where Saren was looking for something. Every instinct cried out to the Commander that something was desperately wrong. She needed to find out what.

"Alright Joker, take us in," she said finally.

The shadows of the colony ship's broken hull flashed darkness onto the bridge as the Normandy turned on its belly, revealing the grey planet below. From on high, no one could have told that a desperate battle was being waged. As her squad arrived on the CIC, The Commander returned to brief them.

* * *

The Normandy's bulkhead door swung open, letting the cool air in and revealing the grey concrete-like material that the dock and seemingly everything else had been constructed of. Shepard stepped out into the atmosphere of Feros for the first time, her pistol raised. They had been unable to contact the colony directly due to geth jamming of civilian level comms channels. For all she knew, the civilians had been overrun hours ago. The sounds of fighting echoed around.

"Liara, you're with me since you probably know the layout of this place better than anyone," said Shepard as the others took up a defensive position at the dock, "Wrex, you're coming along too."

Liara didn't look particularly pleased about being with the lead team. Shepard had forgotten that this really wasn't her job, but suppressed the urge to change the order. The Prothean expert more than likely knew every nook and cranny of the structure as the intel sent by High Command indicated it was of a standard design. Shepard was about to reach out to her, to boost her confidence a little, when Wrex stepped over.

"Don't worry, I've got your back," growled Wrex, "Can't have you dying before we meet your mother."

Shepard almost choked on her breath for a moment. Was the krogan implying he wanted to kill Liara's mother in front of her? The Commander looked at Liara. Thankfully, the asari didn't seem to get the hint.

"Thanks, Wrex," Liara said, pulling out her pistol, "I think..."

Relieved that there wasn't going to be a problem, Shepard turned to Kaidan.

"Lieutenant, you have command of the second team," she said, "Follow us up to the colony centre once you've made this position as defensible as you can. Expect resistance. We'll try and get through undetected if we can."

Kaidan's eyes flicked over to Wrex, as if he was wondering how Shepard planned to accomplish that feat with the loudest and largest member of the crew on her team. Shepard cocked her head slightly to indicate she expected an answer, and the lieutenant resumed his full attention on her.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, saluting.

* * *

Shepard, Wrex and Liara started on their way. They left the Normandy behind, and began negotiating the corridors towards the staircases of the building. The architecture drowned out the light from the sun once they left the docking area, and the power seemed to be down as well. The Commander frowned. They had equipment to deal with the dark, but she had no doubt that the geth would have the advantage.

Faint sounds of dust falling from the roof above turned suspicion into certainty for Shepard, as it could be heard in the interruptions between gunfire. Gunfire that had gotten progressively louder as they advanced.

As they reached the bottom of the first stairway, she knelt and called over Liara. The asari knelt beside her, while Wrex swept his shotgun into every corner of the space, a quiet snarl on his mouth. Satisfied that she could speak safely, Shepard put her hand on Liara's shoulder.

"We need a different way up," she whispered, "If we go up those steps, I guarantee there's an ambush waiting for us."

Liara's eyes went to the stairs, as if the geth were already pouring down them. They hung there for a second, and Shepard bit her lip, unsure what to do and if the asari could do what she asked. The eyes returned to Shepard's own after a moment.

"There should be an elevator shaft behind that wall," Liara whispered back, "The wall itself is quite thin as it does not support the weight of the building, we should be able to get through it."

"Got you," said Wrex, almost causing Shepard to jump out of her skin. The krogan's biotics flared, and he punched the wall with no regard for noise discipline or common sense. His fist went straight through, and he curled the rest of his arm around the back side and pulled it through again.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked Shepard as she stood up, still half-whispering. She looked at the arm-sized hole in the wall that he had made. More concrete dust began falling from the top, and parts of the wall continued to collapse. Wrex kicked the bottom of the wall now, and a hole big enough for even him to fit through appeared.

"That answer your question?" he growled, pointing a claw at his handiwork before scrambling through to the other side. Shepard groaned, and ordered Liara to follow him as she covered the stairs. The distinct sound of the geth screeches was getting closer.

The Commander scrambled through the hole, her slung anti-materiel rifle causing some difficulty in doing it with grace, but she made it in the end. She dusted herself off as she approached the shaft where her teammates were enraptured. It was almost pitch black, and her teammates were only identifiable by the glowing strips of their armour. Liara and Wrex were peering down the drop, clearly wondering how far it was.

Shepard retrieved some chemi-lumniscent sticks from her belt, snapped them between her hands, and dropped them off the edge. They fell for only a few seconds, and in the blackness the silouette of the top of the elevator itself glowed green, as did the cables attached to it.

Liara sighed her relief, to Shepard's amusement. The asari had the least to fear of gravity, if her previous biotic display on Therum was any indication.

"Alright, we use the cable to get up," said Shepard, tilting her head to look up, "Might take a while, but there's no power to call that."

"No it won't," said Wrex, "Do you trust me, Shepard?"

The Commander looked at the krogan, and pondered the question for a moment. She didn't really know Wrex well enough to say at that point, though he was a formidable fighter. Unable to answer it straight in her own head, she returned her gaze up the shaft.

"What have you got in mind?" she asked in reply.

Wrex grabbed her, and summoning his biotics once again, threw her at the cable. She clung to it, expecting to slide down, but a curious feeling of weightlessness had taken hold of her. The krogan now jumped over himself, taking a few strides to run at it and snatched the cable below.

"Well, get climbing, I can't do this all day," he growled.

Shepard seriously considered reprimanding him, but decided against it on account of possibly distracting him enough to cause her to fall. She scrambled up the cable.

"Oh Goddess," Liara muttered loudly, before her own biotics were brought forth and she jumped onto the cable.

The trio made their way up the tower quickly in this manner, reaching the last door before the lift mechanism in mere minutes. Shepard had to swing on the cable to reach the edge, and she opened the way by slipping her omniblade between the two doors and prying them apart. As soon as she did so, the shooting went from echoes to absolute clarity. The Commander grimaced, advancing into the room to make sure there wasn't any geth hanging around. At least they knew they were in the right place.

With somewhere to land, both Wrex and Liara made the jump and the blue glow around their bodies stopped. Liara doubled over for a moment, but stayed on her feet. Shepard went to them.

"You both alright?" she asked.

"Bit hungry, but I'll survive," said Wrex.

"I am just glad to be alive," added Liara, looking around.

"Wrex, for future reference, don't throw me ever again," said Shepard, only half-joking.

"Fine," he growled back, "Where are we now?"

Shepard answered by swinging her semi-auto off her back and striding away. The wind could be heard now as well, so something was exposed to the sky. It didn't take long for Shepard to find the broken wall, and the squad approached it to see what was beyond it.

Below, a plaza-like space sprawled out, most of it taken up by the bulk of a disassembled freighter ship, its modules broken up into housing of some sort. The rest seemed to be teeming with people. Most of them were armed, and were divided into groups to defend each part of the facility.

Defence barriers had been set up to cover the entrances, and what looked like corporate security manned the posts. They were firing continuously down what looked like the main entrance. Shepard was less than impressed with this. Poor fire discipline didn't bode well. Either the corpers were incompetent or it was wall-to-wall toaster in the fire zone.

Shepard shouldered her weapon, bringing the scope to her eye and resting the barrel on the rubbled wall. The militia below were taking serious return fire, as the metal around them sparked with impacts from accelerator projectiles. More disturbingly, sections of their defences seemed to have red-hot melted holes in them as if a blowtorch had been applied at random to their surfaces.

"This is the Alliance, does anyone read me on this frequency?" she asked, activating her comms. Nothing but static came back.

"Look at them all down there," said Wrex, "At least half the colony seems to be squatting on this one building."

"It seems they had some warning about the geth attack," Liara observed, "But how?"

Shepard swept her scope over the colonists, her finger off the trigger. The desperation almost oozed off them. She retrieved her weapon from its rest, "If we move to the left, we should be able to see down that firing lane from up here."

The three repositioned as the Commander said, the others apparently trusting her instinct on the matter. The wall had fallen away entirely at this point, so they lay down for maximum cover. Shepard once again brought her rifle to bear and observed. She had been dead right. The building the troops had entered from was crawling with geth troops. Her heartbeat rose, as she moved her finger from the triggerguard to the trigger itself.

"Wrex, take the RAM-Rifle off my back and get ready," she said, "Don't fire at anything smaller than you are, I don't have a lot of ammunition for that thing."

"Now you're talking!" he said, grabbing the huge weapon with glee.

"There is not much I can do from up here," said Liara, "Sorry."

Shepard let out a laugh.

"You've done enough getting me up here," she said, flicking the safety off her Viper with her thumb.

Her aiming reticle drifted onto the centre mass of a geth rocket unit. Time seemed to slow as Shepard was intoxicated by the moment and the anticipation running through her blood. The first shot slammed into the chestplate with satisfying results, staggering the geth and shattering its front. The second shot entered its innards, sending it falling forwards. The third went clean through its flashlight head.

As the broken metal creature fell to the ground in pieces, Shepard smiled, and started repeating the trick. As more geth got dinged, the colonists looked up from their positions and wondered who the hell was supporting them. Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones, and the geth began to return fire. Shepard's concentration was only sharpened by the near-misses now whizzing by her ears.

"That is a huge geth!" said Liara, peeking over the edge of the parapet as a prime hulked into view.

The larger geth ducked through the doorway, and walked through the colonist's fire like it was nothing but rain. Firing as it came, it kicked the first barricade viciously, rolling it over the defenders behind. The accompanying geth platforms riddled the unfortunate souls with their pulse weapons. The corpers began to flee.

"Wrex, any time now!" Shepard said loudly, putting a fresh thermal clip into her weapon, and firing on the behemoth bipedal machine. The krogan held his fire. He still didn't have the shot.

The geth prime's pulse cannon swung upwards, and despite Shepard emptying an entire clip into the thing's shields, it stood unbroken. The cannon fired, and the high calibre plasma induced munitions slammed into the floor below the Commander.

It collapsed, sending Shepard falling. She landed hard on the rubble below, the audible thud of her body impacting the concrete jarring her ears as pain spread down her side. She blacked out.

* * *

Disoriented, the Commander rolled onto her side, groaning and grabbing at her ribs. "That hurt," she muttered, getting to her feet. She looked up and observed her surroundings. It seems she landed behind the wrecked cockpit of the freighter the colonists used for building material, and it would take some climbing to get out of the pit.

To her left, Liara lay on her back as well, seemingly unconscious.

Shepard hobbled over to her and knelt beside her, picking up her body with one arm. It hurt like hell, but she supported the young asari's weight as she checked for a pulse, not even sure if she was getting her biology right at first. The Commander was soon rewarded with a heartbeat. She breathed heavily with relief. She hadn't lost another.

Liara stirred, and opened her eyes.

"Shepard?" she said groggily, supporting herself now. Shepard helped her sit up straight.

"You gave me a shock there," Shepard smiled, rubbing Liara's shoulder, "We'll need to get you checked out by Karen."

"Of course... Shepard!"

Liara realised she was being held, and got up quickly. Shepard caught her by reflex as she staggered, worried that it was far too early for such exertion.

"Don't push yourself, you were just knocked out," the Commander said, supporting her on her shoulder now. Pain continued to flow down her side, but she had more pressing concerns now.

A loud shot rang out. Shepard and Liara both looked up, and briefly saw the ignited air trail of Wrex's fire. The krogan evidently had found his clean shot at the geth prime, and his head appeared over the edge now.

"Anyone alive down there?" Wrex roared, "The metal pyjaks are dead as a team of salarian kowla players! Your crew arrived just as you fell."

The commander and the archeologist looked at each other for a moment, and they smiled like idiots up at the mercenary. Shepard didn't get Wrex's reference, but she didn't care. The day had been saved, for the moment.

"We're a bit banged up, but we'll live," said Shepard.

"No kidding Commander," said a familiar male voice from behind. Shepard and Liara turned. Lieutenant Alenko and Chief Williams were there, weapons balanced on their hips, standing on top of the freighter's hull and covered in geth conductive fluid.

"I see you had fun," said Ashley, a cheery twinkle in her eyes as they moved to Liara. Shepard let go now, reasonably sure that the asari could stand on her own.

"I could say the same about you," Shepard replied, nodding at the grey goo all over the Chief's armour, "Are the colonists safe?"

"For now," said Kaidan, "The geth are still all over the building, if the colonists are correct. Garrus and Tali are restoring power now."

"Looks like we have much to do," said Liara, wincing as she felt the side of her head.

The Commander nodded. Now the real work began.

* * *

Nightfall had come, and Liara was cold. Her armour had been damaged in the fall hours before, and she had not fabricated another set yet so she was making do with her borrowed labsuit. Each breath was visible as she walked around. Shivering, she kept moving for warmth. She didn't want to enter the already packed cargo modules as to avoid stealing the space of one of the inhabitants, who deserved to be warm far more than she did in her opinion.

She felt a bit useless. Ashley and Kaidan were both busy clearing some of the lower levels so the colonists could get better shelter. Tali was still working on the power. Garrus had last been seen sorting out the corporate security personnel and better equipped colonists. Only Wrex seemed to be doing nothing, chatting idly with a random salarian merchant in a surprisingly calm tone. Feros was a Prothean world, but it had been picked clean by looters centuries before Liara's birth. While it was possible there were hidden troves to be found, she was not particularly excited about being here.

Liara found herself looking for Shepard for reasons that made her embarrassed even to think of, but not a splash of red hair or armour could be found anywhere. As she continued looking, she ran straight into Garrus.

"I am sorry, I was distracted," she said immediately, almost bowing away before the turian could reply.

"Looking for Shepard?" he asked. Liara panicked. Was she that easy to read?

"Yes, I was," she said quickly, unable to come up with a convincing deception in her mind swiftly enough to deliver.

"She's watching the skybridge from up there," Garrus said, pointing to the top of the tower that was familiar to her by now, "Been up there for hours, I'm beginning to get a bit worried about her. Would you mind checking on her? There's a ladder to get up somewhere over there."

Liara understood what Garrus was doing immediately, and was filled with gratitude to the turian. She beamed at him without thinking, but was unable to read his face.

"Thank you," she said, with every ounce of sincerity. Garrus merely nodded, and walked off towards Wrex who had changed his calm demeanor into a threatening one. After wondering for a moment if she should intervene, she decided against it and walked at an indecent pace towards the tower where Shepard was holed up.

Liara found the ladder, and climbed it quickly. A cold wind blew across her back, giving her a second reason for haste. The height was significant as well, but the ladder seemed secure enough. Shivering even more now, she did not want to test it for too long.

Shepard was almost invisible in the shadows of the ruined tower when Liara finally made it. The light from the two moons of Feros drew long beams of light through broken sections of the wall. The Commander was sat in between two such beams, masked by a grey tarp the same colour as the concrete around it, covering her body, armour and rifle, disguising them as a single material entity. The only thing that gave her away was her eyes. The light poured across her face at eye level from the scope of her weapon.

Liara walked slowly towards Shepard, watching the scene. She looked out over the skybridge and saw nothing, yet Shepard was entirely focused. She sat down in the shadows beside the Commander, behind a wall, and waited a moment.

"Are you not cold up here?" she asked quietly, looking at the Commander.

Shepard didn't move an inch from her weapon, but a grin broke out on her face that was just barely visible to Liara in the glow of the scope.

"This is warm," Shepard said, even as her breath froze in the air.

"Really?" asked Liara.

"I guess you have never visited Earth," Shepard said, the smile growing wider.

"No, as I have said before, I have not had any real contact with humans before joining the Normandy crew," Liara said, "Is Earth cold?"

"Most of the time," Shepard replied, shifting her aim ever so slightly as she spoke, "There are warm places, but most people don't live there. We needed the land for crops."

"So humans are immune to the cold?" said Liara, moving to get more comfortable, "Or just you?"

"We all just got used to it, I think," said Shepard, "As for whether or not I am immune, we train to defend our homeworld first, so our basic military training is on the ice."

"I see..." said Liara, unsure of what to say next.

Silence reigned for a number of minutes, as Liara looked up at the sky and Shepard continued her vigil. The asari watched the stars, her mind still.

"Are you cold?" asked Shepard, finally rising from her position, her covering still around her. Liara snapped out of her trance and looked, but said nothing.

"Here," Shepard said, as she gathered the covering off of her armour and held it out bunched up. The tarp was actually a grey blanket, of the type that the colonists had. Liara stood up and took the gift, before swinging it around her own shoulders. It helped.

"Thank you," said Liara, staring again into the green pools that were Shepard's irises. To her surprise, this time it was the Commander who looked away quickly as they made eye contact.

Shepard ruffled her own hair for a moment, and then sat back down into her position. Liara's mind raced, as she sat back down with the blanket around her body. She felt a lot warmer, and the improved insulation was not entirely the cause.

They sat together for an hour, silently. Liara eventually drifted off to sleep, and dreamt good things.

* * *

She awoke to Shepard's voice calling her name. Shaking sleep out of her eyes, she found it was still night.

"How long have I been asleep?" Liara asked absent-mindedly.

"Not long," said Shepard, moving to Liara's side, "Listen, I need you to get Chief Williams and Vakarian, tell them to get up here and to bring everything they can carry."

Liara sat up straighter at this request.

"Why, what has happened?" she asked.

Shepard seemed displeased that she wasn't immediately complying, but retrieved a set of binoculars from her belt and stood up.

"Just below the next tower," she said, pointing as she spoke.

Liara took the equipment from the Commander and put it to her eyes. The nightvision was turned on, and the world was bathed in green light. She found the next skyscraper and zoomed in, tracking its height downwards.

Where the skybridge met the structure were thousands of figures. They looked asari or human to Liara from this distance, but she couldn't figure out what they were doing.

"I don't understand..." she said quietly, glancing at Shepard for an answer.

"Husks," said Shepard. Liara felt her heart drop. There were hundreds of the things down there.

"So the rest of the colonists..." said Liara, not continuing the line of thought aloud.

"Rounded up and killed like cattle," said Shepard, a look of disgust and anger on her face now, "For cannon fodder. They knew we would come, so they prepared."

Liara handed back the binoculars now, and put her face in her hands.

"Goddess be with us," she said.


	14. Chapter 11: The First Waves

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD:_

_This part of the story is getting pretty long in the draft, so I've decided to publish this first part early. Think of it as New Year's present. _

_We've reached 200 followers, so another bonus chapter will be put up after the end of the Feros arc. Absolutely delighted._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: The First Waves**

Liara watched as Ashley pulled a double-barreled cannon up on a rope, Kaidan lightening the load with his biotics as he stood below in the rubble. Before that, it had been a mount of some sort, a set of barrier generators, and what looked conspicuously like huge boxes of ammunition. The two soldiers had taken the news that hundreds or possibly thousands of synthetic monsters created from the corpses of their fellow humans with something akin to excitement.

The panic gripping Liara's heart had not subsided. As Ashley had retrieved the collection of machinery she called "_Ma Deuce_" from the Normandy and Kaidan had gone about organising the colonists for the defence, the archaeologist's previous feeling of uselessness had intensified greatly. Seemingly every person was moving to prevent disaster, sure what to do and how they could help. Everyone except Liara. The darkness of the night did not disrupt the impression of activity that had continued since, as people came and went carrying out their duties with lights attached to their helmets or weapons.

The governor of the colony, Fai Dan, had been present when Liara had delivered the news from Shepard. She had expected a great deal more nervousness from the civilian, but he had reacted with almost the same reserve as the military had. As the news spread, everyone had acted with the utmost efficiency towards preparing for the slaughter to come, even though it was their neighbours and relatives coming to kill them.

Stunned, Liara was forced to accept this strange state of affairs. She had discovered why so many others were terrified of the humans. Their determination seemed boundless. But the monstrosities created by the geth were coming. She was glad the colonists were so willing to take charge of their lives, and had decided to do whatever she could when the time came.

As this promise came to Liara's mind, Ashley hauled her weapon up onto the tower at last, and waved her thanks to Kaidan.

"I could have done it without you, but you made it easier, Lieutenant!" she shouted down, a smile on her face.

"I don't doubt it, Chief," replied Kaidan, his tone inferring the opposite.

"Hey, we Sirona girls are tough," joked Ashley, hands on her hips.

"No argument here," replied Kaidan, a grin on his face. As the two parted to continue their duties, Liara's feeling that humans were brave or insane grew stronger. The Lieutenant acknowledged her with a small nod as he passed, which she returned with one of her own.

"The humans are crazy, aren't they?" said a voice from behind.

Liara turned, and found Tali standing behind her, engrossed with her omnitool. As the quarian worked her fingers over the interface rapidly, the asari simply smiled to herself.

"They certainly are eccentric," she said, "But I cannot help but feel endeared towards them. They try so hard."

Tali inclined her head now, still working. Liara watched the quarian, wondering what she was doing.

"Shepard told me that they would not stop until Rannoch was free," said Tali, "I didn't believe the Alliance was strong enough, not without my own people's assistance. But now, I don't know. There are genocidal monsters coming to kill all of these people, but they are not afraid. Maybe they are strong enough."

Liara looked up towards Shepard's position on the tower, hoping to get a glance of the commander before the fighting started. There was nothing but starry sky. She returned her attention to the quarian.

"I believe them," she said, "They can do it. They will do it. Shepard will keep her word."

Tali stopped her work and looked up.

"Keelah, I hope you are right," said Tali, as she tapped her omnitool once more.

"There we go," she added cheerily, "Communications restored, for now."

Liara smiled. Tali was quite determined herself, she thought. The Normandy's whole ground-team began sounding off, confirming the young quarian's handiwork had paid off.

* * *

Garrus watched Ashley as she set up the heavy machineguns on their mount, checking their mechanisms. The weapons looked archaic, like something he had seen in a period film about the Palaven Unification wars. Two black metal barrels protuded from cases containing the recoil-reloading systems. Belts of chemical-propellant rounds draped out of the sides from huge boxes. The thing wasn't entirely an antique however, as the heat sinking system and barrier plates demonstrated, not to mention the ammunition mini-facturer with its tub of omnigel beside it.

The turian knew the weapon by reputation. At the Battle of Xi'an Valley, human forces under a Colonel Ryan cut down several dozen turians with similar ones. Before the turian armour arrived and overwhelmed the defenders, slaughtering them to a man. Mr. Browning had gained a reputation, centuries after his death amongst creatures he never knew existed.

Garrus had to ask.

"Is it true that humans have been using that weapon since before you achieved spaceflight?" said the turian to Ashley, as she set the barrier plates in place. The human looked over at him, and grinned.

"Decades before," Ashley said proudly, "Don't change what isn't broken, right?"

Garrus hummed his agreement, picking up his rifle and cradling it as he walked over to inspect it.

"Bet it isn't so great against barriers," he said, running his thumb over the ammunition belt nearest to him.

"You'd be surprised," Ashley continued, "With ammunition modifications now, you can punch through. The aim of the game is to cause damage past the barriers."

Garrus grimaced. He remembered some of images shown of injuries caused by the bullets of the weapon on Shanxi. Barriers were less common in those days, and the wounds caused were horrific to say the least. Armour seemed to be far less effective as well, being bludgeoned to pieces by repeated hits instead of simply penetrated as a mass-accelerator with armour-piercing mods might do.

"They're coming," declared Shepard from the other side of the tower, "Eighteen hundred metres and closing, get ready!"

"Good luck," said Garrus to the Chief. She looked a little bewildered at the platitude, to his amusement.

"Thanks," she said, before cocking the handles of her emplacement weapons.

Garrus smirked that he had made Ashley uncomfortable for a moment, watching her aim towards the enemy. He sat down in his firing point, taking his rifle from his arms and resting it on a bipod. Looking down the sights, he saw that the Commander was indeed correct. The enemy was approaching.

Hundreds of husks jostled each other for space on the skybridge as they advanced in a great swarm. Amongst them, small squads of geth herded the throng forwards. Behind them, geth armatures plodded, moving slower than the main force but more steady. Garrus felt a pang of fear. They had nothing but civilians and dodgy corporate security to back them up against an army of synthetics. Long odds indeed.

"Enemy at one-five-nought-nought marker," Shepard said in military monotone, "Chief, fire at will."

Ashley triggered her weapon, and the two mouths of it chattered, twelve point seven millimetre rounds buzzing towards at the enemy. Garrus watched the rounds fly into the husks through his scope. The result was grizzly, the rounds tearing entire chunks of flesh and sections of metallic implants out with each hit. Yet still they came, picking up their pace. It wasn't going to be enough.

* * *

Kaidan followed Tali and Liara into the elevator to the skybridge level, along with the last batch of civilians with enough experience and training in weapons to get the job done. Yet only the aliens seemed nervous. The colonists had a strange atmosphere of concentration about them, like they were thinking deeply about something else other than the fight ahead.

The lieutenant found this state of affairs extremely odd, but put it down to ignorance. None of them, as far as he knew, had ever seen a husk up close, and they had held off the geth very well before.

Shepard had sent Kaidan to command the defence of the main door. As he walked out to the garage area, all eyes turned to him. He had about two hundred semi-competent colonists, a dozen corpers and a broken down walker in addition to the Normandy's new crewmates who had joined him. Against thousands of the enemy and who knew how many mechs.

He stepped forward.

"We have hard fighting ahead, and I need you all to follow my orders immediately after I give them."

No reaction. They were as ready as they were going to be. The Lieutenant began the preparations.

On the raised pathway that ran along the right side of the space, he had the militia set up the metal defences that the colonists had in abundance. Kaidan put those he had the least confidence in behind them. Wrex was put there also, to maintain order and make sure the enemy would not breach the line. Perpendicular to this defence at the back of the room, directly in front of the walker, another line of defences was manned by the corporate security troops and the small number of Alliance veterans. The killbox had been created. When the enemy came through, and Kaidan had no doubt they would make it that far at the very least, they would be hit from the front and side.

Lastly, Tali was assigned to repairing the old Riesig walker. Its powercore was intact and its components were functional, but no power was getting through to make the thing work. If the quarian could get it moving and killing, they had a shot at survival.

"Five-Nought-Nought marker, garage company standby," said Shepard's voice in Kaidan's ear, as the booming of fire from Ashley and Garrus leaked into the transmission.

"DEFENCE TEAMS, STAND TO!" Kaidan roared at the top of his voice. The Alliance veterans advanced a pace towards their barricade, the sound cacophonous as they stepped in unison. The former soldiers raised their weapons to aim at the gate, as the other civilians took up their positions in a far less coordinated manner. The Lieutenant walked down the line, inspecting the latter. Finding nothing out of order, he made his way to Wrex and Liara.

"Dr. T'soni, Wrex, if the enemy gets inside the gate, we'll need to slow them down with biotics," he said, "This needs to be a turkey shoot as much as possible."

The two aliens looked at him funny, and he realised his mistake. Neither of them had either seen a turkey before in their lives, more likely than not.

"It's an Earth thing," he explained, "We need to gather and kill the husks as quickly as possible before our defences are overwhelmed."

"This isn't my rite, you know?" growled Wrex, "I know what I'm doing. we'll get it done."

"I will also do my best to insure the geth do not overwhelm the colonists," Liara added, with a look that Kaidan interpreted to be sadness. Nodding in return, the lieutenant pat the asari on the shoulder and gave Wrex an amused thumbs up, before moving to his own position at the corner of the defences.

"Three-Nought-Nought marker, defence team engage," said Shepard softly.

Kaidan tapped his omnitool, and the gates began to roll up. The darkness beyond was strobed with tracers from above, as Shepard and the others reaped their terrible crop, but no targets could be seen yet. The lieutenant gave the command for the floodlights to be kindled.

A great wave of light swung across the skybridge, illuminating the husks. A great moan went up from the enemy, followed by screeching as they charged forward like demons. The closer they came, the more details Kaidan could pick out in the gloom of the night. He wished he couldn't almost immediately.

"First team, fire," he said calmly. The defence team stationed facing the gateway began to shoot, maintaining good fire discipline and picking their shots. Kaidan brought a pair of binoculars to his eyes, and watched the shots burst in the husks. The veterans were doing a bit better than the corpers, but neither were killing enough husks to stop the advance. The great tide of implanted flesh rolled forwards.

"Tali, we're going to need that walker," he said quietly into his comms.

"It's not ready, I need more time," she responded, "Sorry."

"It's alright," Kaidan replied, taking hold of his own rifle now, "Just work as fast as you can."

The husks were no longer shoulder to shoulder in density, but they had not slowed.

"First team, independent fire at will!" Kaidan shouted, and began shooting himself. The line erupted with automatic fire. That this would normally be entirely improper would have bothered the lieutenant, but the husks were closing at such a pace that it was getting unlikely that anyone would miss.

The lieutenant brought his own weapon to bear, as the slugs ripped the enemy line apart. More and more of the husks fell, some continuing to crawl as their legs were shot from under them, but still more of them simply collapsing like puppets with their strings cut. The advance stopped.

The husks reacted immediately, ducking and diving in a random pattern and hugging the edges of the skybridge where the raised section provided plenty of cover. To add more misery, as the horde parted, Kaidan saw a far more potent threat come into view. The geth squads were advancing in good order behind the meatshield of the dead colonists' reanimated bodies, their own metal shells finally coming into the glow of the spotlights. Continuous fire from Shepard's position above rained down, but it did not bother them.

"Tali!" shouted Kaidan as he shoved a fresh thermal clip into his weapon, "We really don't have anymore time!"

"Just one more minute!" she replied.

Kaidan's heartbeat rose, frustrated beyond all discipline's ability to halt it, as the first geth began to open fire. The veterans kept firing, the geth still not close enough to get off truly accurate shots, but it didn't matter. The lieutenant's jaw dropped as the corpers, the glorified security guards, ducked down behind the barricade and ceased firing.

"Are you mad! Keep firing!" he ordered, grabbing the nearest one and dragging her physically to her feet. The guards did as they were told almost immediately, to Kaidan's great relief, but it was too late.

The husks, taking advantage of the drop in bullets flying their way, surged forward once again. They came on at a faster rate than before, as they used cover to avoid the renewed fire and the geth supported them.

"Wrex!" said Kaidan

"Alright you pyjaks, get ready, they're coming!" roared the Krogan, brandishing his shotgun over his head and hitting his chest with his free arm. The civilians, unable to see exactly what was coming to kill them, bristled and coaxed as many sounds out of their weapons as they could.

The husks tore into the building with their mouths wide and throats moaning, flooding into the low floor of the garage's main area. Above, the militia along the walkway held their fire as they were instructed, letting the enemy run the full length of the room.

"Now, blast them to pieces!" cried Wrex. His shotgun boomed, the signal to attack. The civilians began firing now as well. The husks were caught in a crossfire, their attention firmly fixed on the barricades in front of them as their heads and bodies were ruptured by shots from the side.

Kaidan stopped firing and watched the scene. The civilians were still missing even at point blank range, but their nerve held. They were hitting enough of the husks to stop the creatures, and the bodies began to pile up. With relief, he added his own shots to the fray.

The thinned out front of the husks had now all died, and a glut of them entered, swinging around the edge of the gateway and scrambling towards the less experienced militia.

Liara immediately acted, and caught them with a bubble of dark energy that suspended them in the air. Wrex and a brace of accompanying civilians fired into the tangle of floating husks, before the krogan let loose a bolt of energy himself, detonating the singularity. The corpses slammed into their walking fellows as light flared from the biotic effect. The next wave came on.

"Ready!" said Tali, exhaustion edging into her tone.

The walker powered up with a hum. Its barriers flashed on, strobing around the body and legs of the armour. The gatling cannons began spooling up. Kaidan could help but smile. The weapons fired, streaming shells into the husks, bursting them like kids' water balloons. The militia, the veterans, even Wrex stopped firing, and watched as the husks were torn to shreds.

When the walker started thudding forwards, a cheer went up.

"Forward!" ordered Kaidan, "Outer positions, now!"

The colonists followed Tali in the walker, squashing the corpses of husks and powering forwards. Picking their way through the scene as quickly as they could, the civilians moved with a purpose, some dragging the barricades with them.

Kaidan came up beside the walker as it stopped. Missiles boomed from the mounts on either side of the sensor array of the armoured beast, and swung towards the nearest geth destroyer, rippling into it until it fell apart. The lieutenant nodded his approval of Tali taking no chances, opting for overkill. The geth took a lot of putting down. Even now, the squads of geth were attached like metallic leeches to whatever cover they could grab.

The colonial veterans were forming up ranks behind the newly repositioned barriers, guiding the amateurs to the most protected positions. The horde of husks didn't seem so endless now to Kaidan, as Chief Williams' fire added to that of his own team's shots, cutting a scythe through the enemy ranks. Yet still they approached.

"Starting to run low on clips, lieutenant," said the leader of the corpers, flicking a heated one out of her gun. Kaidan looked down his sights, and saw that the next group of husks was still out of best effective range, particularly for the civilians. And there were still the geth walkers to contend with. Only one option for it.

"No choice... Cease fire!" he said, "Let them get closer."

"Just how I like it!" declared Wrex, eliciting a cheer of agreement from the nearest civvies.

Kaidan didn't want to comment on the krogan's enthusiasm. The closer the enemy got, the more likely the civilians would panic. He hoped it wouldn't come to that, as his gut tightened at the thought of having to retreat as the geth pursued them.


	15. Chapter 12: Bloody Dawn

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: _

_Here's the next part of the Feros arc._

_I've been thinking of writing Battlefield 2157, an account of the First Contact War, involving canon and OC characters. Sort of a secret history, based on how things were different in this version of events. If you guys would be interested in reading something like that while I also work on this, let me know. Likewise if you want me to concentrate on this. I have also decided there will be a Battlefield 2184, the story will not jump immediately to the Collectors' arrival. Make of that what you will._

_Coming up on 150 favourites, so I guess I'll whip up some more posters. If there are any background aspects of the story that you want explained in greater detail, feel free to say so in a review or PM and I'll clarify them in the upcoming bonus chapter if I can. It has also been three months to the day that this story was first published! Thank you to all who have read it this far._

_Hope this chapter has the desired effect I was aiming for, enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 12: Bloody Dawn**

Shepard fired her weapon, shattering a geth prime's chestplate on both sides of its body, front and back. It kept moving. She had missed the vital parts. Cursing, she opened her rifle's breech, letting the specialised thermal clip pop out of it, and slid another high-density round in. As she snapped it closed, she reacquired the target. She need not have bothered. From below her position, Tali sent a burst of rounds from the walker into the thing, and Ashley followed up with a volley from her emplacement. Not even bits resembling spare parts remained of it. Shepard nodded her satisfaction. One more threat neutralised.

The geth had been acting strangely. Instead of the all-out attack they usually favoured, a tactic bred from their ability to simply download out of their destroyed bodies, they were hanging back, letting the husks soften up the human defences. Or so it seemed. Lieutenant Alenko had been putting to bed any notion that the husks would soften anything up, yet the geth were not retreating or acting in any manner that would suggest they were being beaten.

Shepard assumed it had something to do with the geth armatures rumbling ever closer, but Tali's walker could take care of them in a pinch as long as she had support.

Garrus ducked down and opened a box of clips as he sat, flicking the spent one out of his rifle.

"We're holding for now, but this is going to get messy if we don't do something about those geth mechs," he said, barely audible over the sound of Ashley's firing. Shepard sat down beside him, putting her rifle across her lap.

"I agree," she said, her eyes raised to the heavens as she thought about it, "But what?"

"Eh, Commander?!" said Ashley, alarmed and pointing down at the skybridge.

Shepard jumped up. The geth armatures were running at full pace, in formation, closing towards the building. Shepard peeked over the edge of the tower at the defence team below. Kaidan was visible trying to keep order at the very front, his distinctive First Legion white-grey helmet standing out even from many floors above. The civilians were fleeing as Tali fired the AT missiles from the aging walker into the fray.

The Commander cursed, and aimed her anti-materiel rifle down the skybridge at the oncoming behemoths.

"Ashley, start with the right-side raised lane," she ordered. Tali was hitting targets mostly in the main thoroughfare, unable to fire at those pounding along the higher lane.

"Yes Commander!" the Chief said, before triggering her weapon. The twin-barrels chattered loudly as she sent bursts down-range. Shepard blocked out everything; the cold wind blowing on her face, the comms, the smell of ozone and what she could only assume was rotting flesh.

Laying the reticles on her target's head was difficult. It was still moving about, even if it was directly towards her position. But she didn't earn the nickname "Angel of Death" for being a middling marksman.

Shepard depressed the trigger. The rifle hummed for the smallest moment, and discharged. The round hit the target's head, the air along the bullet's flightpath torn for a millisecond. The armature's sensor cluster smashed and the light flicked off, as its 'skull' collapsed. Ashley followed up, sending a burst into its body. The thing exploded. A ragged cheer rose in the air. The Commander smiled as she opened her rifle to reload. Absolutely textbook.

"Commander!" shouted Garrus, running towards her.

Shepard turned back to her viewpoint. A geth frigate was swinging into view from the sky, firing its dorsal weaponry at the base of the tower. To make matters worse, the armatures had stopped. As she spotted this, their plasma projection weapons fired in unison. The turian grabbed her and dragged her to ground as the blue-white bolts obliterated the already run-down wall she had been using for cover.

* * *

Shepard coughed. A cloud of concrete dust and smoke hung in the air, obstructing her view. The noise of gunfire seemed eerie, breaking through the haze as the moon's beams were caught by the particles in the air. The Commander couldn't see three feet in front of her face.

"Vakarian, Williams, report," she said, hoping the others were still alive.

"I'm right here," said Garrus from below her, dragging himself to his feet, "And you're welcome."

Shepard breathed easy as best she could without choking. The turian was fine, and the Chief's silhouette was emerging from the haze as he had spoke, covered in dust.

"We have a problem, skipper," she said, patting the powdered concrete off with one hand and thumbing behind her with the other.

Shepard walked beside her and looked. The gun emplacement was entirely destroyed. She examined Ashley more closely, and sure enough, her armour was scarred with heat damage in places, black streaks smoking slightly along her side. Too close for comfort.

The comms buzzed.

"Commander, the walker has been destroyed!" reported Kaidan, out of breath. Gunfire and shouting could be heard in the background. "Tali got out, but she's hurt."

Shepard's felt sick to her stomach. She had believed for a moment that they could hold. An outcome that looked increasingly less likely.

"They'll be overrun," muttered Garrus.

"Lieutenant, retreat into the spire, get up here and seal off the elevator," Shepard said, retrieving her weapon from the ground. Kaidan acknowledged the order.

A dull but deep thud resonated through the building, shaking the floor.

"What in God's name was that?" said Ashley.

Shepard changed her comm channel with her omnitool, isolating the channel to the colony's leader. The civilians who had no marksmanship experience or were too young to fight in Shepard's eyes had been moved downstairs to shelter with a few of the older veterans. For safe keeping. The Commander feared the worst for them, cursing that she might have overlooked an angle of attack.

"Governor Fai, are the civilians alright?" she demanded, as Garrus and Ashley gathered as much useful equipment as they could.

Nothing but static came back.

"Vakarian, go down and retrieve the civilians, bring them to the docks," Shepard said, "There's not much more we can do up here."

"This is Fai Dan …. under attack.."

The message died.

"Double time, Garrus," said Shepard, "Ashley, we're going with him."

"Yes ma'am!" said Ashley, before she hopped onto the ladder and slid down its sides. Garrus followed suit.

Shepard landed almost exactly where she had fell hours earlier with Liara. Reminded of that moment and how close it had been to death, she started off at a blistering pace towards the lower floor access. It was strange to run through the main colony area, seeing no one, but she continued, one foot in front of the other as fast as she could place them.

Upon reaching the staircase, she slung her rifle onto its mag-holster and looked down. It was dark below, no emergency lights. Ashley and Garrus caught up with her, sweeping their weapons around, searching for targets.

"Follow my lead," said Shepard, activating her omnitool minifacturer. It produced a plastic cord, unwinding from the top of the device rapidly in a weaved rope. The Commander took the end of it even as the rest was being made, and tied it to the nearest pillar. As the creation process completed, she tossed the end off into the space between the stairs.

"Commander?" said Ashley.

Shepard looked at the Chief, and saw concern and doubt. She smiled back.

"What Williams, they didn't do this in Army Basic?" she joked, securing the rope to her omnitool and threading it around the backside of her waist.

Instead of waiting for a reply, Shepard jumped. The omnitool controlled her descent with a manufactured clasp. She passed several floors in mere seconds, and paid close attention to each as it passed. There were no signs of trouble.

The Commander landed gracefully, the rope's length had been perfect for the height of the drop. The thought of this coincidence was soon utterly obliterated by the sight in front of her.

There was a krogan down the passageway in front of her, standing in the glow of an activated omnitool. It had not noticed her, as he was turned with his back towards her and was engrossed by his interface. It was the only thing visible to Shepard in the absolute blackness that had enveloped her. She drew her rifle again. Questions about what the hell yet another krogan was doing working with the geth did not come up. Nor did the danger to the colony or her own life come to mind consciously. Only one thing was on her mind, even as she felt her body flood with adrenaline or perhaps because of it.

_Turkey shoot._

The familiar clarity fell over Shepard's mind as she brought the rifle to bear, sighting the krogan and putting her finger on the trigger. Her concentration was perfect.

So much so that she almost didn't hear the clatter that boomed out from behind. Ashley landed hard, the concrete ringing her armour with a dull ceramic sound as she fell onto her side. It was loud enough. The krogan turned, grabbing at its holstered weapon as he did so. It was too late.

The Commander triggered her weapon, and the anti-armour slug flew through the alien's skull with a wet thump, exiting the back of its raised hump. His body fell forwards, his shotgun discharging harmlessly into the wall beside him. Shepard looked at her work with little satisfaction, bringing her eye away from the scope and waiting for signs of movement. You couldn't take chances with a krogan.

As if to mock her, geth emerged from empty doorways, their glowing sensors betraying their positions. Shepard stood firm as they turned to investigate, one of them covered in the dark ichor from the demise of its organic leader. The glowing torch on the krogan's omnitool died, and the geth's bodies disappeared from sight.

Shepard calmly slung her AT rifle as she moved. It was useless to attempt to reload, it would take too long. She picked her pistol off her hip. Shots began flying around the air where she had shot the krogan from, the geth still unsure as to her exact location. They were hoping to find her by the return shots, Shepard realised. Dragging Ashley into the corner of the room away from the doorway before the Chief could give away their location, she put her finger to her lips. Ashley nodded. The two kept moving. Garrus began to ask what was going on over the comms. He was having trouble attaching the rope to his tool. Shepard ignored him.

The peculiar metallic padding sound of the geth moving started and began getting louder. Shepard ducked behind a protruding pillar, her pistol at the ready. Ashley followed, understanding what was about to happen.

The geth came in what could be described as a perfect demonstration of urban warfare technique. Each of them took a section to clear, and they acted with absolute precision as they boiled into the room. Shepard hoped the pillar and the darkness would throw them long enough to get a good few shots off.

Unfortunately, she was wrong.

The nearest of the synthetics turned, screeched to its fellows and fired. Ashley returned the favour immediately, her barriers flashing as they deflected the thing's shots. She stitched it with a burst from its rifle. Shepard peered around, watching the fight. The first geth fell, bubbling conductive fluids. But the others were coming.

"Cover!" shouted Garrus. The two women ducked around the pillar again.

The centre of the room where the main group of geth were standing erupted into a fireball, illuminating the whole room. When the flash died down, Shepard rushed forwards. The nearest geth had elected to turn around to investigate what had happened to the others. Her heart singing, the Commander plunged her omni blade through its back. It screeched in the geth manner as she kicked at its leg joint, causing it to fall.

As the coup de grace was delivered, another geth decloaked and fired. Shepard didn't even have time to feel surprise or shock. Her barriers were downed. The shot entered her left shoulder. She screamed with the pain, her mind filled with it. She looked around. Ashley was fighting off three more of the damn things and hadn't noticed yet. Meanwhile, the perpetrator was hovering over her, staring. Why the hell wasn't it finishing her off?

It didn't matter in the end. Garrus landed hard behind it, on his feet. He killed the thing, calmly threading a shot through the side of its metal faux-head with his pistol. Shepard got up, strongly reminded of the turian's similiarly excellent shot in Dr. Michel's clinic. She nodded her thanks to the him, holding her shoulder and reminding herself to thank him more properly later. Ashley turned, having dealt with the other targets.

Breathing heavily with the effort, Shepard waved the others over.

"You're bleeding," said Ashley in a shocked tone. She began to apply medigel. The regulation response to just such a situation.

Shepard let the Chief do her work without saying a word, unable to keep her eyes off the thing that had almost killed her. The buzzing mix of pain and excitement at the back of her head continued, though the former was diminishing by the second. Garrus shook her lightly for a moment, and she woke up. The turian was asking if she was alright.

"There's something you have to see," she said to her companions.

Shepard brought them to the corridor where her first victim of the fight lay, the floor and wall beside him coated in a bloody pulp. Garrus groaned at the sight, while Ashley picked up the impressively large dropped weapon.

"Is that another krogan?" asked Garrus.

"What's left of one," Shepard said, "We really need to talk to Wrex about where these mercs operate from."

"Do you think there are more of them?" said Ashley, her grip on the newly acquired shotgun tightening, "We're going to need support down here."

Shepard nodded her agreement, and brought up her omnitool to scan the corpse. As she waved it over the krogan, the sounds of footfalls approaching started like a rumbling thunder. Shepard stopped what she was doing immediately, and doused her lights. The others ducked into the side rooms, weapons at the ready.

The rumbling got closer, and the mild glow of artificial torches began to shine off the walls. Shepard stood her ground, stepping over the broken body but remaining in the corridor. She wanted to see what was coming. The sound of the approach wasn't like that of the geth before. It did not sound like machines.

It wasn't.

A great tide of humanity swept into view. The colonists were walking quickly but seemingly quite calmly. Children clung to parents. Teenagers and elders alike clung to weapons, neither with particular confidence. Shepard grimaced. They would have ran straight into the geth squad and the krogan had she not acted. The enemy were trying to herd the civilians into their graves.

Garrus and Ashley flicked on their own lights, and the colonists reacted immediately with near perfect choreography, the front rows bringing their weapons up together in unison. Shepard was surprised at just how coordinated their reaction had been, and could not help but raise an eyebrow. For civilians, they were very on the spot. As this ran through her head, a woman spoke as she approached.

"Commander Shepard?" she asked, "What are you doing down here?"

The colonists lowered their weapons at the sound of Shepard's name, but kept moving. The Commander waved the woman over.

"What's going on here?"

"The krogan broke down doors on the lowest level below the skybridge, attacked almost without warning," the colonist explained, "Governor Fai ordered us out as soon as the radios started acting up again, he's at the back making sure there are no stragglers while Reynolds' men hold."

As if to demonstrate the dire nature of the situation, the sounds of weapons fire and shouting started echoing from down the hall. The people started running, stampeding past and pushing the corpse out of the way. Shepard knew she had to act fast. She called her squadmates over, and turned back to the colonist.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"May O'Connell, Electrical Engineer," the woman replied.

"Well May, I need you to lead these people to the main docking area for me," Shepard said, "Can you do that?"

"But the Governor.."

"I don't care what the Governor said, I'm in charge, take your people to the dock!"

Shepard was surprised at O'Connell's reluctance to evacuate, and hoped she hadn't pushed the civilian too hard. Thankfully, the colonist nodded her compliance and quietly went to do her duty. The herd was thinning out, and the shooting was getting closer.

"Commander, what are we doing?" asked Garrus.

"We're staying here to cover the retreat," said Shepard, "We need to find some way to blow this section of the tower as well, I'm all out of explosives."

Ashley hefted the huge shotgun she had retrieved from the krogan.

"This should be able to take out the roof with the carnage shot setting," the Chief said confidently.

The veterans' rearguard ran into view, shooting back down the way they came as they moved. With them, Fai Dan and a few injured civilians ran ahead. Krogan roars were audible, both of pain and anger.

"Chief, better get that thing ready quickly!" said Garrus, taking cover at a corner.

Shepard showed her agreement by taking her RAM rifle off her back and reloading it quickly. The Governor approached.

"Commander, I see you got my message," he said, "We were afraid no one would hear."

"We heard, get your people to the dock," Shepard replied, "We'll cover your troops and blow the passageway."

"Commander, if you mean to evacuate the colony, I must object!" the man said, a strange tone of annoyance in his voice, "Our people would rather stand and fight for their home than run away."

Shepard turned her attention away from the closing firefight in front of her, and to the Governor. The man's face seemed to betray his real sentiment. He wasn't convinced by the words he had just uttered. Yet he had said them all the same. Why? The Commander frowned.

"Governor, you will do as I say," she said, "I can't defeat the geth if I have children to protect. Even if the geth take the colony, we can simply retake it if we get your people safely off-planet. I am an Alliance N7 in a time of war, and a Council Spectre. Regulations grant me broad authority on this."

"Don't worry Governor, we're not about to hand the colony to the toasters," added Ashley.

Shepard observed the man's reaction. He seemed pained for a moment, his brow furrowing and his eyes wide. She was about to put more pressure on, but he accepted her order with a fatigued expression.

"Alright Commander, we'll do it your way."

The Governor stalked away into the darkness towards the staircase without another word.

Shepard began wondering what the hell his problem was, but was interrupted when the first krogan charged into a militiaman down the hallway. The other veterans scattered as their fellow's body slumped to the ground against the wall, half-crushed. The Commander winced, and reached for her weapon.

Garrus fired his own rifle, hitting the krogan on the hump. It fell down, but from the growling-roar of pain, was not dead. Shepard cursed. She couldn't sight it, the militia were in the way. By the time the krogan got up, Ashley had found her firing lanes cleared and sent a stream of rounds at him. Unfortunately, his brothers arrived as he fell and charged.

"Ashley, now!" shouted Shepard as the last colonist passed her.

The gunnery-chief grabbed the krogan shotgun, and fired it at a support pillar. The manufactured rifle-grenade flew off the barrel and slammed into the roof support, detonating with a bright red flash. The weight of the roof was no longer held. Concrete and metal beams fell onto the krogan squad, crushing them to death as they charged. The corridor closed with rubble, a great crunch reverberating through the space. More of the damned dust filled the air as well. Shepard waved it out of her face, pointing her weapon's flashlight through to see if it was safe to move on.

Several floors had fallen through. It would take the geth and krogan some time to get through via the side room walls, and even then the integrity of the entire floor was more than likely compromised. Shepard determined it was safe for the moment.

"Well, that was more effective than I thought it would be," said Garrus in an amused tone, clapping Ashley on the shoulder.

"That makes two of us," replied the Chief, a grin plastered on her face.

Shepard couldn't smile herself. The rubble wouldn't stop the geth for long. Reinforcements were still hours or days away. She went to the krogan's corpse and completed the scan that had been interrupted before, hoping that it would provide some clue or another. Maybe Haider could do something with it.

"We need to get back upstairs," she said finally, before setting off towards the stairs.

* * *

The tower was chaotic. The geth had breached the garage, and were making their way up the western staircase. Shepard listened to Lieutenant Alenko and his team try to hold them off. He had sent Liara and Wrex back with Tali, who was aching but mobile. The young quarian seemed cheery despite her bruises.

The Governor appeared again, looking worried.

"What now Commander?" he asked, "The geth are coming."

The reports in her ear confirmed what Shepard knew and what Fai Dan was saying. Kaidan was doing his best to hold the enemy, but they had deployed platforms that could crawl up sheer walls, flooding the defences with them like a swarm of spiders. It was only a matter of time.

The Commander had two problems, She could not allow the geth to kill the colonists, and she could not allow the Normandy to fall into their hands. There was only one solution; evacuate the colony by putting the colonists on the ship and ordering it into space. Her first instinct had been to order this immediately, but she had stopped herself short, ordering the civilians to the dock in case they needed to be put aboard quickly.

The dilemma was huge. Saren wanted something badly, something in the colony or something the colonists had. Leaving the colony now would give it to him. Shepard didn't know what he wanted or why, but it was common sense to deny him his prize. If she left the colony, she could not stop him.

Now the moment of truth had come. She had to make a decision.

Shepard decided to split the difference.

"Get your people onto our ship," she said quietly. The man nodded, and complied, rushing away to carry out the order.

"Joker, prep the Normandy for takeoff. When the colonists are safely aboard, take off."

"Commander, you're coming too, right?" he asked, not sure of her implication.

"No. Lieutenant Alenko, Chief Williams and myself will remain behind as the N7 team. We'll evade the enemy until the Army arrives to retake the colony," Shepard said, putting as much authority as she could muster into her voice.

"Shepard, you can't expect us to.." Garrus started.

"I can't ask you to die for a human colony, Garrus," Shepard said, cutting him off, "You did not sign up for that. Ashley and Kaidan did, and so did I. We'll hold them off until the reinforcements arrive."

"Shepard..." Liara said, stepping forward, "Please, don't do this."

"I can't let the geth have the colony," Shepard said, "Go to the Normandy, that's an order."

"You don't order me around Shepard," said Wrex, pointing his claw, "I'm staying."

"This is no place for you to die," she replied.

"This is as good a place as any," the krogan growled back.

"We found more krogan on the lower levels," said Shepard, stepping towards Wrex, "Would you like to die without knowing what the hell they're doing working for Saren?"

Wrex grunted. Shepard knew she had made a point that hit home. The krogan just grimaced, and stayed silent.

"Go. Now," said Shepard, tapping her omnitool, "I'm transferring you all my combat telemetry and the scans I've made, take it to Anderson and General Haider, they'll know what to do next."

"What, that colossal bitch?" Tali said, "I'd rather..."

"Just do it," interrupted Shepard.

The Commander turned around and walked away, back towards the ladder to the top spire. Ashley fell in beside her.

"You can go too, if you want," Shepard said quietly to the Chief as they walked.

"This is my duty Shepard, to defend humanity," Ashley replied, "I'm with you."

They made it to the ladder, and the Commander grabbed it to climb but stopped.

"Have they left?" she asked.

Ashley turned to look, and then nodded. Shepard sighed with relief. She had been afraid they would simply refuse to move. Now she wouldn't have to worry about them, at the very least.

"Thank you, Chief," she said, and climbed to the top.

The sky was getting lighter. The darkness was no longer absolute, and the very edge of the horizon was a deep blue instead of starry black, stabbed by the black forms of the other towers and skyways. Shepard hoped she would see the daylight before she died. Dying surrounded in the dark would have been a terrible way to go.

"Shepard, we can't hold the geth much longer," Kaidan reported by radio, "Orders?"

"Inform your team to withdraw to the Normandy," Shepard said, "You can report to our position."

"Commander?" said Kaidan, his tone speaking the unsaid questions.

"The colony is evacuating, we're staying behind to cover their escape and wait for the Army reinforcements," she said.

A silence punctuated the air for a moment.

"Very well, Commander," Kaidan said finally. He began ordering a withdrawal.

Shepard sat down at the edge of the drop, and inspected her equipment. She had seven rounds left for the Rorsch rifle, eight thermal clips for both her pistol and semi-automatic, and three adhesive grenades. She groaned. That wasn't going to be enough.

* * *

The Commander and Chief Williams waited fifteen minutes, scavenging what they could and drawing the ladder up from the tower. Long range communications were still down for an undetermined reason. Shepard hoped the Normandy would relay the situation as soon as they were clear.

Kaidan arrived chased by tracer rounds, waving biotic fields behind him as he ran. The geth were behind him in force, dozens of the hoppers crawling along the walls and the footsloggers variety accompanying them. They were trying their hardest to kill the lieutenant.

Shepard lay down and began firing with her Viper rifle. She concentrated on the crawling abominations, hitting one with each shot, incapacitating them either permanently or for the moment. But soon she had to reload. As planned, Ashley started firing as she did so, aiming for the ground units that had been slowed by Kaidan's singularities and warp fields.

"Commander, we're good to go here," said Joker by the comms, "Get your ass down here!"

"No can do, Joker," Shepard said, "Get them out of here before the geth reach you!"

Joker said nothing.

The Commander resumed firing, as Ashley's rifle ran dry. The geth had stopped, letting the husks run ahead to soak up the rounds. They bubbled out of the corridor and towards Kaidan. Ashley threw down the rope to the biotic, and he climbed it with ease as husks began to paw at it. The lieutenant just managed to grab the edge of the floor before the walking corpses pulled the rope away along with the railing it had been attached to.

Shepard registered this with satisfaction. She hadn't lost anyone yet.

The Normandy rose from the side of the building into the sky, as the husks began to claw up the side of the spire. Shepard's attention went to the sight immediately. It was a beautiful thing to see.

"Good luck, Commander," said Joker finally, before the ship powered away into the sky. Shepard turned her attention back to the enemy, fortified by the knowledge that the others were safe.

The geth finally made it to the main area, shooting up at Shepard and the others as the first husks made it to the edge. The Commander switched to her pistol, as Ashley hosed the offenders down with her weapon before it ran dry again. Kaidan recovered his own rifle and rejoined the fight. The geth were starting to hit their own slaves. Shepard shot the remaining husks efficiently, taking out heads and kneecaps, the excited feeling of battle washing over her once again.

"Was it like this on Torfan?" asked Ashley desperately, riddling the last husk and taking cover.

"Worse," said Shepard, a smile on her lips. No one had died yet. She couldn't ask for more.

The spire began to shake violently. The three humans fell over, unable to stand.

Shepard crawled to the edge, and looked over. Three geth prime units had arrived, and were firing at the spire's base with their heavy weapons in a continuous stream of plasma pulses. The sound of their firing combined with the impacts to drown almost everything else. Below, the geth watched, their heads looking up at her with eerie interest. The Commander immediately realised what they were trying to do.

"Kaidan!" she shouted. The biotic lieutenant looked over, and upon seeing his commander's face, brought his powers to bear.

The top of the spire fell towards the geth, like a tree felled by a chainsaw, tipping over. As she fell, Shepard felt herself become lighter, both by the acceleration of the tower and the mass effect field around her. The falling metal crushed one of the habitation units made from the old cargoship, along with two or three squads of geth. They hadn't thought that would happen.

Shepard landed on her side, and the mass effect field dispelled. Ashley rolled to her feet beside her position, and looked for a target. The geth were all around, and she began to fire.

Frantic, the Commander followed suit. She was alive and determined to stay that way. With the worst of the enemy in mind, she holstered her pistol and brought her AT rifle into her arms once again. The first geth prime dragged itself over the rubble and scrap metal that had blocked its line of sight.

Shepard sighted the machine as it raised its weapon. She fired quickly, taking the minimum amount of time to aim, the brief humming of the weapon giving way to the thunderous bang of its discharge. The shot went through the thing's pelvic area. To the Commander's great relief, its legs gave way. She had hit the connecting structure beneath the armour, severing both legs from the spinal column. It split in two, falling backwards.

She scrambled to break open the breech of her weapon. The heatsink popped away into the air, and she grabbed another round from her side. She looked up. Three more geth primes were standing where the first had, pulling themselves up. Ashley fired at them, their weapons tracking towards both of them. The excitement of battle faded immediately, replaced by gut-wrenching fear.

Shepard dived to the side and expected to die.

It was unnecessary. A huge singularity enveloped the geth giants, tossing them in the air. They fired wildly, unable to keep steady. Shepard allowed herself to breath.

The Commander looked for Kaidan. She could have kissed him and his magnificent timing. She soon spotted him. He was unconscious or dead on the floor behind Ashley. The Chief was defending his body valiantly against the geth units flooding around the debris field to kill them. Shepard was confused for a moment.

Liara stepped out of the doorway behind their position. With a wave of her hand, she detonated her singularity field, and the geth primes were flung apart. Flaring with biotic power, the asari stepped in front of Shepard and sent more attacks at the geth hoppers skittering over the rubble.

"Liara?!" said Shepard incredulously, bringing her pistol to bear once again.

"I couldn't leave you behind," Liara replied, "We couldn't."

"Never thought I'd be glad to see you!" said Ashley, pulling a waking Kaidan by the arm into cover behind piping. Shepard moved to cover the Chief as she did so, and Liara joined her. When the geth wave had been crushed by biotics and bullets, the Commander turned to the archaeologist.

"What do you mean we?"

Garrus and Wrex stormed out of the doorway, rifles raised, as the next wave of husks and geth clambered over the crest of the fallen tower and down into the pit. The pair rushed the enemy with a joint roar, firing as they advanced. The krogan smashed husks aside with his arm as he waded into the foe, while the turian used pinpoint shots to obliterate the heads and chests of geth hoppers that jumped around them.

Shepard was so entranced by the sight, that she almost jumped out of her skin when Tali touched her shoulder pad to draw her attention.

"Sorry we're late, the geth tried to take the Normandy's dock as it tried to take off," the quarian explained, "Liara insisted on running ahead on her own." She gave over a handful of thermal clips, before rushing to the fight. Shepard was speechless for a moment. They had stayed, despite her orders to the contrary. But she was happy to see them.

"Squad, to the high ground!" she shouted, and they all shouted back their acknowledgements.

They all rushed forwards, Wrex and Ashley leading the way, laying down buckets of shots as they did so. Shepard pushed the reload into her rifle, and snapped it closed, running to join them. Liara followed, throwing a geth stealth unit aside with her biotics and firing her pistol at its fallen body.

The Commander reached the top of the pile of rubble alongside Tali and the scene below. The geth were all over the remaining habitation and the space around it, but they were retreating. Shepard felt elated.

The enemy were being beaten back. Ashley tossed grenades into the throng as Wrex and Liara herded them with biotics. Tali hacked a group into firing at the others, while Garrus shot a lumbering geth destroyer through its sensory cluster. Kaidan sat down and fired, leaning across a fallen support beam. Geth and husks fell dead in droves.

The enemy retreated with reckless abandon, but there was a booming sound. Shepard called for a ceasefire. Everyone stopped firing.

"What is that?" asked Tali, as heads swivelled to find the source of the noise.

Shepard watched as a metal head appeared over the edge of the skyscraper.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed as she realised what it was. A geth armature was climbing the side of the entire building. It screeched, and began charging its main weapon.

"Down!" shouted Garrus, and the group scattered. The shot sprayed the rubble outwards. Dust flew into the air.

Red light bounced off the smoke, filling the air as if it was on fire.

"What's that light?" asked Shepard, trying to aim at the armature.

"Sunrise," said Liara, laying beside her, reloading her pistol.

"What's that sound?" asked Tali.

For a moment, all Shepard heard was the armature climbing, more walls being smashed out of the way and the whine of servos. But then it came. Floating softly in the air, but getting louder.

"That's _When Johnny Comes Marching Home_!" shouted Ashley.

The orchestra became clearer, as shuttles flew overhead in formation. Some were heavy lift shuttles with walkers attached to them, other were standard Kodiaks with their doors open, crammed full of troops. All had loudspeakers attached to them, all of them blaring the martial music at full volume. Behind them, the sky was lit up with clouds, reflecting the red sunlight. Beautiful. Shepard smiled to herself.

"The reinforcements!" said Garrus, "They're here!"

They all cheered.

"That's not all Commander!" said Joker.

The dust cleared and the armature loomed, climbing over the side of the building and finally reaching the solid ground of the floor. Shepard looked up. The Normandy was swooping towards it and firing its main cannons. The armature was struck dead on, shattered utterly by the hits. Its pieces flew over the side into the abyss below. Joker pulled the ship into a sharp climb, and buzzed the skyscraper. Shepard waved hard as it did so, as the others stood up, their weapons held above them. Wrex's shotgun boomed into the air in triumph.

"Joker, I have never been more glad to hear your damn voice!" Shepard said with complete sincerity.

"That's two you owe me now," he said, half-jokingly.

The Commander and her crewmates climbed on top of the remaining debris, as a shuttle approached. The music stopped, and the transport's doors opened. An officer stepped out of it, accompanied by a squad of soldiers, all wearing standard Alliance armour in the black-grey American pattern. One of the latter held a flagpole with the _Stars and Stripes_ attached to it. The soldiers eyed her crew with bemusement, but what Shepard noticed most was that the officer did not even blink. A professional. He saluted when he neared, and she returned the gesture.

"Captain Toni, Bad Company, US 101st Orbital Assault Division, Fourth Legion," the man said, "This is Delta Squad. We're here to secure the colony, I understand you're the N7?"

The Commander took off her helmet and smiled. The soldiers gasped as they recognised her.

"Commander Shepard, N7, CO of the Normandy, Fifth Fleet," she said, "Council Spectre now as well, I guess."


	16. Chapter 13: Company

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: _

_This chapter took a bit longer than usual, as I wasn't sure exactly where to take it and I was planning out the plots of some of the other story arcs. Those of you who have watched Paragon Lost will be familiar with the people here. _

_Shoutout to NenkotaMoon, who really should be less harsh on himself._

_To answer the question that one anonymous reviewer asked, namely "Where is the Humanity Fuck Yeah! in this story?", I simply say that term doesn't mean that humanity curbstomps everyone immediately, and that there is an acceptably gratifying amount of curbstomping coming. It's just boring reading if humanity overcomes its enemies and rivals easily. Even Team America got themselves shot down before they kicked Kim Jong Il's ass!_

_Very special bonus chapter is next, including the usual codex entries but also the plan for this entire series of stories, along with some of the blurbs as a special treat for passing a double milestone!_

_Without further ado, here is the cameo of Delta Squad, Bad Company, 101__st__ Orbital Assault Division of the United States of America. Enjoy._

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Company**

James Vega walked along the tunnel, watching his teammates advance in good order towards their objective. Delta Squad was moving through the lower levels of the skyscraper complex that made up Zhu's Hope, the capital of the Feros colony. If you could call it a capital. The place was a ruin in the squad leader's eyes, and James was no stranger to poor living conditions. The battle damage didn't help the impression much either. Morning light leaked down from the upper levels into the sections to reveal near-crumbling superstructures, complimented by new supports to keep it all together, but maintaining a very run-down look.

The geth had retreated quickly as soon as B Company had set down, disappearing into the bowels of the structures and making their way to the outer spires, as best they could under the watchful eye of the gunship squadron that had arrived. The machines had left the husks to slow down the Alliance troops, but James and the others had made short work of them. Now the platoon had been sent to disable a jamming device that had made local communications beyond a few hundred metres almost impossible, and to restore the colony's utilities. They were all angry. Angry about Eden Prime, angry about the husks, angry at the geth, angry at the Council for doing nothing. Their squad leader knew they would fight hard.

James had been more surprised at the other development. No one had been told that the N7 assigned to their mission was Commander Shepard. Captain Toni's response had been typically stoic, but James could tell when his superior officer was putting it on for discipline's sake. Even the CO had been in the dark about the first human Spectre's presence. His attitude had worked and no one had said a word about Shepard. For the moment.

He called for a halt. They had advanced more quickly than the other squads, as they had been using the relatively clear underpassage of the skyway that hung around the skyscraper, instead of picking through the spire's guts. He decided it would be unwise to advance without the other squads ready to back Delta up. Not with krogan supposedly lurking somewhere ahead. They gathered around the junction of one of the bridges out of the tunnel system.

"So, did anyone notice that it was Commander Shepard back there?"

The question hung in the air for a moment. James turned to the asker, annoyed slightly at the distraction. Essex was the squad loudmouth and a powerful biotic. He was speaking what was on everyone's mind. A few of the others nodded. Too late to squash the conversation.

"I think we all did," James replied, "Not sure what it has to do with the mission though."

"I thought she was kinda hot, in an neighbour's-older-sister sort of way," Essex continued. James' mind wandered to thoughts of Lola for a moment. The girl next door. Hot and tough. A redhead. Anything she used to do caught attention. A groan erupted from the soldier beside, dragging James from his brief trip into nostalgia. He turned to the source.

"Essex, you really are too predictable," said Kamille, putting her hand on her hip, "The Angel of Death shows up on one of our missions, and all you can think about is getting into her pants."

Kamille was infantry to the core. Which didn't stop her from being the subject of oogling by pretty much every male in the company, and a couple of the females too. James generally restrained himself out of respect for the soldier's abilities, which were considerable. Essex on the other hand was obsessed.

"What can I say, I'm a connoisseur!" Essex said, eyeing Kamille up with a suggestive look that his visor couldn't hide, "You're really hot when you're jealous, by the way."

Kamille slammed her riflebutt into the back of Essex's shoulder.

"Ow! That hurt!" the man said, rubbing the impact point, his biotics flaring up a little.

The rest of the squad chuckled for a minute. It must have been some hit to hurt through the armour, James thought as he laughed.

"I have to agree with Kamille though, Shepard being here isn't a good sign," another soldier added as he hefted a RAM-rifle, "Doesn't anyone around her have a tendency to get their asses shot off them?"

Milque was the squad sniper. A man conditioned towards survival as a first priority. To the point of avoiding assignments if he could, but in this case, James didn't disagree entirely with what he was saying, but he couldn't let morale drop on something like this without knowing what it was all about.

"You mean Torfan, right?" said Vega, "Everyone knows what happened, but that doesn't mean we're going to get fed into the meatgrinder here."

"I don't know, it was grim when we showed up," Kamille said, pushing Essex away as he tried to get closer to her, "The briefing didn't paint a pretty picture either, and I get the feeling we're understrength for what we have to deal with."

Vega couldn't help but agree. The entire place was littered with geth and husk bodies when they landed. Shepard and her people had barely hung on, and she had even ordered her ship offworld to safety with the colonists. None of Delta had seen any krogan bodies, the word had gone out at the briefing that they were around as well. Although eager to get into combat for the first time, meeting a krogan in the cluttered quarters of the colony gave him pause.

"What do you think, Nicky?" asked James. Nicky was the support engineer, and youngest of the squad. A quiet one, he often had some insight when he did bother to open his mouth. Even if he was overly formal.

"I was surprised to see Shepard's squad," Nicky said, "Asari, turian, krogan, quarian... All fighting for the Alliance."

Vega smiled. He had noticed that as well.

"Yeah, that asari was fiiiiine," said Essex, motioning with his hands at his chest, "The quarian too, if you're into that sort of thing."

"I guess Council Spectres get all the perks," teased Kamille, "Too bad you'll never be one, Essex."

"Oh yeah, just watch me!"

Nicky's omnitool beeped, and he brought up the interface. Vega watched his eyes widen. Not good news.

"There are geth heading straight for us!" Nicky said, an edge of panic in his tone. The squad looked to their leader as one, awaiting orders. Vega had to think for a moment. The other squads were still not in position to support, but getting caught in the open on the outer tunnels wasn't a great idea. Particularly with no comms contact. Looking around, he noticed something. He smiled as an idea sprung up.

"Alright Delta Squad, get ready!" Vega ordered, "We'll catch them by surprise!"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

Vega and his squad watched as the geth passed. The ambush point was one of the narrow tunnel sections, open to the outer tunnel on two ends, with access hatches to the lower skyway along it. Nicky's drone hovered in a quiet corner, feeding the image of the geth to its masters as they walked cautiously along.

In front of them, Essex and Milque lay waiting. The biotic would block their advance while the sniper picked them off. At least, that was the plan. Vega watched them pass, and gave the word.

Essex sprung from behind a collapsed column.

"Good morning, toasters!" he declared, waving at them with one hand and sending a singularity at them with the other. The front pair of geth were immediately lifted from their feet. The synthetics attempted to fire at the biotic, but missed, managing only to spin their bodies in mid-air with the recoil forces of their weapons. James winced as the geth behind fired through their fellows at the blocking soldiers. The intel was right; they really didn't care about their own casualties.

"Milque, they're all yours," Essex declared, hopping over the cover, the shots whizzing audibly by, even over the comms.

"My pleasure," replied Milque, as he lifted himself over the top. He lined up his shot and fired. The rifle spat its bullet out, the sonic boom echoing around the halls deafeningly. The shot passed through two more geth, shattering them and a large part of the concrete behind them. James smiled. The geth hesitated after that. Or at least, were forced to calculate a new course of action.

"Damn Milque, two for one!" radioed Kamille, her voice raised in surprise.

"I don't have a lot of ammunition, so I thought I'd be efficient," replied Milque coolly, ducking back down. The man was clearly pleased to have impressed his female counterpart, and James shook his head at the false modesty. Essex stood up again, throwing purple bolts of mass-destabilising warp fields at the geth. They had just began to advance again, and managed to run headlong into the biotic attack. Metallic ripping filled the air as their outer shells were torn, but most remained intact enough to take cover again.

"Vega, any time now?" asked Essex, shooting at the advancing units. The geth retaliated and hit the soldier's barriers before he could escape. James said nothing. The enemy weren't in position.

"Screw this," said Milque, "Time to go all-in."

He began to rummage around in his equipment belt for something. Vega couldn't make out what he was looking for. The geth moved closer, as Essex's attempts to suppress them with his submachinegun failed utterly. The machines simply shrugged off the losses, as if the bullets were nothing but rain. James felt a shudder go up his spine. The damn things just didn't give up.

"Milque, what are you..." began Nicky. As the words left the young engineer's mouth, Vega watched as the recon trooper flung a package at the geth. The machines stopped and looked at the thing for a moment.

"Milque, no!" James shouted. The satchel charge detonated. The explosion rocked the floor and walls, knocking dust off ledges and lighting up the early-morning shadows with a bright orange light for a tiny moment.

The videolink was shrouded by smoke. Vega feared the worst.

"Milque, Essex, report!" he said.

A moment passed, with no answer.

"Nicky, do you have lifesigns on them?" he asked. The engineer changed the image on his omnitool screen from the videofeed to a squad status monitor.

"Yeah, two of them, both stressed if their heartbeats are any sign," said Nicky, "Even their comms are still reading as green."

"Ugh, did I get them?" asked Milque groggily.

"Looks like it," said Essex, "Almost got us too, you jackass!"

"You will report when I order you to report!" James shouted into the comms, "And no stunts like that again."

"Yes, sir!" came the reply. Vega could have strangled them, but was just glad they were alive.

Nicky changed the image back to the drone's view. James analysed the sight before him. The geth that had been at the front were blown to pieces. The Protheans built things to last, it didn't look like any of the structure was collapsing. The rest of the enemy were retreating in a well-organised fashion; some units moving, some firing, interchanging between the two. But they were finally in position.

"Kamille, you're up," James ordered.

"Gotcha," came the cheery reply, followed first by metallic gun-cocking noises, and then by copious amounts of gunfire. Kamille really was a gem, James thought as he watched the carnage unfold.

"We better get moving too," the squad leader added, knocking Nicky on the shoulder. The engineer nodded, turning his omni off and grabbing his shotgun. After checking that his subordinate was ready, Vega went to the door and pulled away the concrete slab jammed into its opening mechanism. Tossing it away, he took a deep breath. The novelty of the first combat mission wore off quickly, though his heart was still beating with excitement as opposed to fear. The geth had fallen straight into his trap.

A slap on the controls, and the door was open. The geth were moving past, too busy dealing with the fire from both sides of the tunnel. Milque and Essex on one side, hammering precision fire and biotic attacks down the path, Kamille on the other, hosing the geth position down with every sign of enjoying herself. Bracketing the enemy right in front of James and Nicky.

They both smiled as they raised their weapons and fired.

The rounds thumped and pinged as they entered the bodies of the geth, and strange grey goo leaked out. Vega couldn't help but enjoy the sound, even as he wondered what the hell the liquid they were bleeding was. The machines' bodies fell on top of one another, their weapons firing wildly in all directions, but not concentrating enough to breach the barriers of their executioners.

It was over in seconds. The pile of 'dead' geth twitched and sparked.

The firing stopped, allowing James and Nicky to step out into the tunnel. The rest of the squad approached, and joined the two in staring at the pile.

"I'm surprised that worked," said Kamille, poking the nearest body with her foot, "Well played, Vega."

"How did that work, is what I'm worried about," asked Milque, "Don't the geth usually give less of a crap about their own casualties? How'd you know they'd retreat?"

"They're protecting a jamming device," said James, "I just figured they would …. I don't know, calculate that them being alive would help them do that. You know, better than them throwing themselves at us like beserkers anyway."

"Speaking of which, can we get more than a location beep off yet?" asked Essex, "We should probably..."

A colonist blundered into the scene, looking somewhere between confused and stoned out of his mind. Apparently, the firefight, the pile of geth bodies, and the heavily armed soldiers in front of him were nothing to worry about. He stopped in his tracks and swayed slightly, as the squad looked on in complete disbelief. Before Vega could react, Essex swung his hand and put the man in a biotic grip.

"Who the hell is this guy!" Kamille said, aiming at the new arrival, "All the colonists were supposed to be secure at Zhu's Hope."

For all the bravery, the squad was jumpy. Vega sighed. They needed to cool off.

"Essex, stand down," James ordered, "He's a scared colonist, not a krogan."

"What if he's working with the geth?" Essex asked loudly.

Vega bristled, raising himself to his full height. The biotic had crossed the line, and now he knew it.

"Alright, alright."

The biotic stasis field stopped, and the colonist staggered for a moment, regaining his feet. He began laughing. Vega stepped forward, despite the strangeness of the man, hands out to reassure the man.

"I'm Gunnery-Chief James Vega, we're with the Alliance, here to fight the geth," he explained, "Who are you and what are you doing down here?"

"Ian Newstead, at your service," the colonist said, "I'm down here because I had to get away from.."

Newstead doubled over, groaning with either pain or pleasure, holding his chest and head. Vega backed off a step. What the hell was going on?

"Are you alright?" asked Nicky, moving to the man's side to help him up again.

"Oh, I'm fine, just invoking the master's whip," Newstead said, "Feels good to defy it, with the right assistance."

The colonist grabbed into his pockets, took out a vial of pills and swallowed a few. After gulping them down, he sighed, standing a little more straight.

"Much better."

"Oh, that's just great," said Milque, brandishing his rifle as if to hit the colonist around the head, "The guy's guzzling pills like candy, he can't tell us jack!"

Vega couldn't help but agree. The man seemed extremely unbalanced. Uniquely so.

"I don't suppose you've seen any krogan around here?" Kamille asked Newstead, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh yeah, dozens of them," said Newstead in a relaxed tone, "Down that way, crowded around. Master wants me to stay away from them, but keep an eye out."

The squad looked at each other in disbelief. Vega knew that every one of them was thinking the same thing. This was a person who needed to be put away for his own safety.

The sound of gunfire, muffled by distance and echoing off concrete, started from the direction that Newstead had indicated. Vega frowned. The other squads were in serious trouble if this insane man was correct, and if he was right about the location, he might not be lying about the numbers.

Another realisation came to the squad leader's mind. He couldn't warn them about enemy numbers due to the damn jamming device. The only option was to press forward.

"Alright Ian, you just stay here," Vega said in a calm tone, "Delta Squad, we have work to do!"

* * *

"It's a damn slaughterhouse down here, Vega," reported Kamille, leaning around a corner to shout it, "No sign of any krogan though."

"This room's entirely empty," added Essex from another doorway, "Not even bodies."

James frowned. They had followed the sounds of fighting for an hour, and found nothing but bodies. A couple of krogan, but mostly human. Captain Toni was among them, and James had never thought he'd see the day where that hardass would be capable of dying. Bad Company had lost its leader and almost an entire platoon. Where the hell were the krogan hiding? How do you hide dozens of giant walking tanks to begin with? The spire complex was a maze of long corridors, rooms, elevator shafts and staircases, sure, but the krogan weren't quiet types. As these questions raced in his mind, James stepped in something wet. He looked down.

Someone's guts were on the floor.

James felt his throat burn with vomit. He swallowed quickly and held his breath. The impulse to spew subsided enough to control, and he stepped away, moving his eyes away from the sight. Just in time for Nicky to throw up all over his boots.

"Ugh, sorry sir," Nicky said, holding onto James to get himself on his feet again and wiping his mouth with his armoured glove, "Couldn't help myself."

Containing himself, James simply nodded. Now both the top and bottom of his boots were covered in something foul, and the stench would follow him around. Great.

"Your drone picking anything up?" he asked, holding back a rebuke. He began putting the breather section onto his mask to get away from the smell as the engineer checked his omnitool. Distractions weren't to be tolerated, given the danger.

"It seems to be glitched," Nicky replied, "It won't respond to my move commands, and the camera won't move off of this dead guy."

Vega immediately grabbed Nicky's arm and swung it around to look at the image. It was a dead Alliance soldier, from Alpha squad, lying propped up against a wall. The dead man's omnitool was on and active.

"It's a.." Vega began.

Milque's RAM-rifle boomed with deafening force. A ferocious roar drowned the air, flowing through the room. James saw Nicky physically flinch, and turned to see, knowing what he would find and fearing just how he would find it.

A heavily armoured krogan had grabbed Milque. James brought his rifle up to shoot, but couldn't get a clear shot. The enemy began beating on his squadmate, hit after hit smashing into the human's body. More krogan started out from an access hatch.

"Milque!" said James, rushing forward to help, not sure exactly how he would do that.

The krogan grabbed the sniper once again, and threw him clean across the room. Milque crashed against a corner and slumped to the ground.

"Bastards!" screamed Essex, unleashing his biotics once again, as Kamille rushed up beside him. The krogan retreated, scared off by the display of dark energy. Confident he had a moment, Vega moved to Milque's body.

"Be alive, you asshole," he muttered as he removed the sniper's helmet. Searching for a pulse, he found one. Grabbing his own rifle, he signalled Nicky over.

"Get some medigel into him, and stay close by until you know he's not dying on us," he said.

"Yes, sir!"

Vega joined the fight. Essex's biotics were proving difficult to manage for the krogan, but they were tough sons of bitchs. The team's weapons weren't getting the job done. Kamille rattled off a few more rounds, and then ducked around to reload.

"We're barely stratching them," she said, flicking the spent clip out of her weapon. The soldier looked at James for a moment, before turning again to fire. Yet more krogan were climbing out of the hatch. They were massing for a charge. The textbook krogan response to resistance. A thought occurred to Vega as he watched this. There was one weapon that could put the hurt on these aliens.

"Where's Milque's rifle?" he asked.

The shot boomed out. It clipped Kamille's side, sending her spinning. She flailed to the ground, dropping her weapon and moaning with pain. One of the enemy had picked up the RAM-rifle and used it.

"KAMILLE!" screamed Essex, sending a flurry of biotic warp fields down the corridor at the krogan. As they threw themselves out of the way, he rushed to his downed squadmate's side and dragged her into cover. James was enraged, his heart racing as he gnashed his teeth in his mouth. Stopping himself from simply charging, he quietly peeked around the corner and searched out the krogan that had picked up the weapon.

The alien in question was kneeling, helmet off, and pleased with his work. A toothy grin was on the enemy's face as he fumbled with the reloads on the side of the weapon. Hate washed over Vega as he readied his weapon, and leaned out to shoot.

The shots were perfect. He sent a three round burst at the krogan. The bullets penetrated just below the alien's protective ridge, near its eye. Twitching, the alien slumped forward dead over the weapon it had stolen. James was not satisfied. With a shout of his own, he took potshots at the others who weren't behind cover. The others were not amused.

The shooting that had been sparse until then intensified greatly. James returned the favour, ducking in and out of the corner where Kamille had been hit to harrass the krogan. A minute later, and Essex rushed across the corridor to join in.

"Kamille, you alive back there?" James asked at last, waking from his own little blood rage for long enough to realise it.

"My shoulder is dislocated," came the reply, followed by Kamille herself. She was moving at least, and still able to fight if the SMG in her hand was any indication. Nicky also came, shotgun at the ready.

"Milque is stable, but still under," he said, nodding over at the sniper's body. James glanced at the injured man in the room behind, and shook his head. He felt like he could tear the krogan limb from limb for a moment, before reason reasserted itself again.

"Here they come!" shouted Essex. James looked and wished he hadn't.

The krogan were rushing down the corridor in a great column, grunting and roaring as they did, shooting as they came on. Essex caught the first few with a biotic throw, sending them sprawling back into their fellows, but the group just kept pounding forwards. Kamille and Essex fired, spraying and praying. Their prayers were answered, and the krogan slowed as the front ranks began to sprout bloody holes. But they didn't stop. James felt the first pang of real fear he had ever felt. Existential, soul crushing fear.

Almost without thinking, he began gathering up all of his fragmentation grenades. There was only one way the krogan were going to be stopped, the same way the geth had been. He stuck all of the explosives to his utility belt, and went to the corner. The krogan charged forwards. He would only have one shot.

When Vega hoped they were close enough, he primed as many of the grenades as he could and threw the belt out into the corridor.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" he roared. Daring not to watch, he ducked back, waiting for the inevitable detonation.

The grenades blew up separately, a chain of bangs like firecrackers, but louder, accompanied by the pinging and dull thudding of the shrapnel hitting concrete, armour and krogan. The latter gave out moans as their bodies fell to the ground.

Vega nodded to Essex across the space, and they both jumped out, guns held up and biotics flaring. Most of the krogan were dead, or at least mortally wounded, huge bleeding gashes in their armour leaking onto the floor or limbs blown clean off. Others were stunned, still alive but wounded enough that they'd need to regenerate.

James took the opportunity, and rushed forwards. He delivered killing bursts to three or four of the enemy before they started to recover, while Essex tore into a similar number with his biotics. It was a mistake. Vega's weapon clicked at him as he tried to fire at the next target. Cursing, he began to reload. He looked over to his teammate. It was pretty clear that Essex was at the end of the line where his biotics were concerned. And the surviving krogan were dragging themselves up. Too many to stop.

"Back! Get out of here!" ordered James, reloading as fast as he could while standing his ground. If he was going to die, he was going to do it defending his people. He roared a challenge at the krogan as Essex drew back. James knew the biotic would get Kamille and the others to safety.

As the hulking aliens stood up and shouted back at him, a strange clarity fell over James. It was a feeling beyond hate or anger or excitement. He levelled his weapon and fired at the nearest target, time seeming to slow as he did so. The target went down, and he began to aim at the rest. They were all running at him, the rage boiling off them in an almost-visible aura. He killed another, but the rest attacked. His barriers flashed, shots ricocheting off of them. He began moving to cover, but the krogan reached him first.

The charge slammed Vega off of his feet and onto his back. The front of his helmet was smashed, and he tore it off with one hand, still determined to fight. Breathing heavily, he looked up to find himself staring down a gun barrel. He closed his eyes, shaking with fear, and waited for the end.

A shot rang out like a thunderclap.

James opened his eyes to find the krogan in front of him falling onto its back, a huge hole blasted in its head. Tracers and biotic warp fields flew down the corridor, striking the remaining krogan in turn, breaking through their armour and killing them. They were being cut down mercilessly.

A figure decloaked beside him. Red hair, near-luminous green eyes, RAM-rifle cradled in one arm still smoking lightly from its discharge, the other held out to him, offering her hand to pull him up.

Commander Shepard.

The first human Spectre wasn't alone. Nicky and Milque stood beside her, along with the asari she had been with at the landing zone. Vega glanced around and found Essex and Kamille with the quarian and turian, weapons at the ready. He glanced back at his saviour.

"You did well," Shepard said, smiling, "You held them off."

Vega immediately threw up the contents of his stomach on her boots.


	17. Codex: Zhu's Hope & Other Entries

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: Here is another bonus chapter for another milestone, very happy! This one will be quite big, as you'll see. Chapter 13 is out as well, so don't miss that._

_Codex entries on Zhu's Hope, the Alliance Navy fleet, the human economy, and the Alliance's political landscape. Pretty big entries._

_So yeah, hope this is good enough for all you fine people following this story!_

* * *

**Codex: Zhu's Hope**

_The capital of Feros colony, Zhu's Hope is the primary centre of the United States Colonial Administration for the planet and the primary population centre. Named for the Mayor of Boston Hadley Zhu, a famous politician who saved the city of Boston during the worst of the glacial flows, most of the colonial population have immigrated from that area of the northeastern US and are no strangers to hardship. Encouraged by generous corporate subsidies and pushed out by continuing cold climate, nearly three thousand people call the colony home. _

_Its primary corporate sponsors are the Exogeni Corporation, a specialist company with interests in colonial development and biomedical research. Further support is provided by the Yutani Corporation, a colonial development investment company, and the American Space Colonisation Fund, a charity aimed at providing a better life off-world for impoverished or at risk Americans on Earth. The colony is currently lead by Governor Daniel Fai alongside a small colonial council._

**Codex: Alliance Naval Vessels**

_The Alliance Fleet consists of many classes of FTL-capable starships, ranging in size from strategic bombers and torpedo-corvettes to fleet carriers. The design philosophy of the Alliance is that every human ship must outperform the ships of any other species in its specialised role. The Alliance has succeeded in every class of starship except for dreadnoughts, for which the Turians still hold supremacy by default, and stealth frigates, for which the title is shared between the turians and humans. _

_The reason for the design philosophy is simple; humanity's fleets are vastly outnumbered by the potential threats they face. While the strategic deterrence weapons keep much of the risk at bay, Alliance High Command is under no illusion that humanity is safe. Their caution has been vindicated by the geth attack on Eden Prime, and the politicians who once blocked mass expansion of the Navy are now lining up to vote for larger fleets and newer ships._

_Ships are divided into eight fleets commanded by Admirals, which are in turn divided into carrier task groups, cruiser patrol groups, frigate wolfpacks and deterrence patrol groups commanded by group-captains. Carriers and dreadnoughts are commanded by group captains, or admirals if they are being used as a flagship, cruisers and deterrence frigates are commanded by captains, frigates are commanded by commanders, and all smaller classes are commanded by flight lieutenants._

_Ship classes:_

_Fleet carrier: Niké, Macha_

_Dreadnought: Thor, Heracles_

_Cruiser: New York, Belfast, New Delhi_

_Frigate: __Agincourt, El Alemain_

_Deterrence frigate: Thermopylae, Okinawa_

_Stealth frigate: Normandy, Churubusco (in development – stealth deterrence)_

_Resupply-Resource-Recovery ships: Ceres, Birgitte_

_Torpedo corvette: Kennedy_

_Strategic bomber: A-62_

**Codex: Alliance Fleet Carriers**

Niké-class:

_The Niké-class (knee-kay) is the fourth-generation primary fleet carrier class of the Alliance Navy, and the nail that holds the fleets together. First commissioned in 2176, the class is the first child of the marriage of human ambition and quarian technical know-how. At 2,200 metres in length, the Niké-class is the largest warship class in service with any Citadel fleet. Its considerable armament, surprising manoeuvrability, and unmatched defensive capabilities make it arguably the most powerful starship class in the galaxy except for the Destiny Ascension-class superdreadnought. Designed for long range operations far from friendly space, it was created with the tactics of its day in mind. Prior to its introduction, the batarians and their pirates would drop out of FTL inside Alliance cruiser pickets and do serious damage to carriers before any retaliation could be made, in desperate attempts to cripple superior Alliance naval power. The tactic was suicidal, but effective enough to cause human engineers to go back to the drawing board. Luckily for the Alliance, the Quarian-Human Accords were signed just as the first keels were being laid down, and the project gained significantly from the technical expertise gleaned from quarian engineers. _

_In order to pay for the huge costs of construction, the Alliance Parliament authorised civilian versions to be made available to the market, with container-cargo versions for sale generally and colony ship versions for lend-lease to human corporations and NGOs. The Niké's civilian sisters now ply the trade routes from Inner Council Space far into the Terminus Systems, and are particularly common in the Quarian Migrant Fleet under use as homeships._

_Every Niké-class carrier possesses forward torpedo tubes, an array of cruiser-class mass accelerators along its flanks, space for two hundred fighters and fifty bombers or utility craft, eighty launchers, EMP weaponry for planetary assaults, triplicate kinetic barriers, ultra-dense and ablative armours, point defence lasers, engine-thrust articulators, and equipment manufacturing capabilities. The Athena subclass commissioned in 2182 also has far more extensive VI, ECM, ECCM and decoy capabilities, and all previous examples of the class are being equipped similarly as of 2183. _

_The class is named for the Greek victory deity. There are sixteen Niké-class carriers in service in 2183, and five more under construction. _

_Subclasses: Niké (2176), Athena (2182).  
Civilian subclasses: Aphrodite-class (2177 – colony ship), Nile-class (2177 – container ship)._

Macha-class:

_The Macha-class (mah-kah) is the third-generation fleet carrier of the Alliance Navy, previously the lead carrier class until the introduction of the Niké. First commissioned in 2165, it was the first human carrier design to have standard equipment comparable to that of other species' ships. An effective if inelegant design, the class was the mainstay of the human fleets until after the Eagle Nebula Campaign of 2176 and the assault on Anhur. Examples of the Macha-class suffered heavily in the war against the batarian slavers and pirates, due to the suicidal tactics used by enemy commanders, often falling victim to kamikaze style attack runs by batarian religious fanatics. _

_Only one example of the Macha-class was lost in combat, but almost all of them were heavily damaged between 2170 and 2178. Of the twenty-one ships commissioned, only five remain in service as of 2183, of which only one has seen combat, the class-leader SSV Macha. The names of decommissioned Macha-class carriers are transferred to the new Niké-class in turn, and the names of all those who died on the predecessor ships are written on plaques on the CIC of each of the new class, so that their sacrifice continues to be honoured._

_Each Macha-class fleet carrier possesses broadside mass accelerators, point defence weaponry, space for one hundred and fifty fighters as well as twenty bombers or utility craft, forty launchers, dual kinetic barriers, ablative armour and engine-thrust articulators. _

_The Macha-class is named for the Irish goddess of war and sovereignty._

_Subclasses: Macha (2165), Minerva (2176 – Modernisation – All ships retrofitted as of 2183)._

**Codex: Alliance Dreadnoughts**

Thor-class:

_The Thor-class is the lead class of dreadnought designed by the Systems Alliance. First commissioned in 2174, it was designed to outshoot the ships of the Batarian Hegemony. The batarians withdrew from the Citadel Council's jurisdiction about ten years previously, and were worried about the turian response to their decision. In order to placate the Council, they promised to continue compliance with the Treaty of Farixen as long as humanity did. This left both the Alliance and the Hegemony unable to compete in quantity, so an arms race began as both sides attempted to compete on quality. The resulting ship design on the Alliance side is the Thor-class._

_The Thor contains a number of technical innovations and improvements, particularly to kinetic barriers, power supply, heat management and the rate of fire of its main battery. It served with distinction during the Verge Conflict, both in a space-superiority role and as a celestial-body bombardment ship. It is also designed as a command and control ship, and examples of the class serve as the flagships for five of the eight Alliance fleets. _

_The class is named for the Nordic god of war. There are five ships of the class in service as of 2183, and another two under construction. _

Heracles-class:

_The Heracles-class (hair-ah-clays) is the newest human class of dreadnought, designed for a new tactical philosophy and new technology. First commissioned in 2182, the ship design differs greatly from other dreadnought designs. Based on tactical modelling and war experience with carrier designs, the Heracles is built to FTL jump into the midst or rear of an enemy formation rather than snipe from afar. Once in position, it opens fire with ferocious broadside weaponry like an old Earth ship-of-the-line, using independently cooled gatling mass-accelerators, torpedo launchers and missile pods. Its prow-weaponry consists of EXALT launchers in a similar pattern to an Alliance carrier, and has just a single dreadnought-scale mass-accelerator. It also has the capability to use an experimental thermal sink system co-developed with the quarians._

_As the hull design is based on the old Perseus-class dreadnought, which was first commissioned before First Contact, the Heracles is smaller than most dreadnoughts. This fact has earned it the reputation as a "pocket battleship" class. However, it uses components in modular kits that are already manufactured for other classes of ship or for export, making it the cheapest dreadnought ever commissioned and making it capable of being constructed with great ease. Furthermore, like all the newer classes of Alliance ship, it is designed to operate on long range missions without support. While it is not intended to replace the Thor-class, the dominance of the carrier in human naval strategy may result in the Heracles becoming the more common class in the Alliance Navy, as resources are prioritised for carrier construction._

_The Heracles-class is named for the Greek hero and demi-god, also known as Hercules. There are two Heracles dreadnoughts in service with the Alliance Navy in 2183, with another under construction._

Codex: Alliance Cruisers

_Alliance cruisers are designed as smaller versions of dreadnoughts or carriers, as well as specialised planetary assault cruisers. "Gun" cruisers sport typical mass accelerator weapons along their length and act as the long range artillery in engagements. "Escort carrier" cruisers sport multiple frigate/destroyer level weapons along their flanks and deploy either fighters or interceptors as a screen in actions too small for the deployment of fleet carriers. "Assault" type carriers exist to deploy planetary assault titans onto enemy planets from orbit, and are the space operations bases for the Alliance Army legions. They typically use EXALT launch tubes as their primary anti-ship armament. All of these types are based on the same hull, and each cruiser class has a subclass for each role. _

_Alliance cruisers are named for the cities of Earth. Escort carriers tend to carry the names of port cities._

_Classes in service: New York (2167), Belfast (2175), New Delhi (2180 – Named for the 2155 class)_

**Codex: Alliance Frigates**

_Frigates have three roles in the Alliance Navy: fleet support, reconnaissance and strategic deterrence. Six classes of frigate are in service as of 2183, two for general fleet use and two for WMD deterrence operations, with two more stealth classes under trial to augment the existing proven designs. In the reconnaissance role, the Alliance Navy assigns N7s to frigates for scouting planets and other locales, and to conduct special operations behind enemy lines. In the deterrence role, frigates are armed with a variety of nuclear, mass-destabilisation, EMP, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction. Nuclear and EMP are the only two types found on every deterrence patrol. With these weapons, frigates patrol border regions as quietly as possible, awaiting orders to strike at enemy colonies and shipyards in retaliation for attacks on humanity's own. _

_Fleet frigates are named after famous battles in human history. Strategic deterrence frigates are named after famous last stands in human history. _

_Current classes: _

_Fleet frigates: Agincourt (2169), El Alemein (2177) _

_Deterrence frigates: Thermopylae (2173), Okinawa (2181)._

_Stealth frigates: Normandy (2183 – co-developed with the Turian Hierarchy), Churubusco (2183 – stealth deterrence)_

* * *

**Codex: The Human Economy**

_When humanity gained an embassy on the Citadel in 2165, the economies of Earth and its colonies were fully integrated with those of the Council species and their associates. Before this point, the only species with whom humanity traded openly was the Quarians, but both state-owned companies and private corporations prepared for years to break into the consumer markets of the other species. The preparations paid handsome dividends, as everything from chocolate to military hardware hit the galactic economy in a great wave, causing a human economic boom that has continued to this day. Due to careful government management and longsighted entrepreneurship in the private sector, economic growth in the Alliance has continued for twenty years, doubling human wealth over the course of that time. Only setbacks such as pirates in the Traverse or the conflicts with the batarians have restrained this unprecedented transfer in wealth to humanity. _

_While the Alliance is entering a golden age in terms of its growth, there remain serious concerns. Human manufacturing of cheap versions of established products have damaged the reputation of Alliance corporations. Wealth inequality is a serious problem, and would be a fatal one were it not for the safety valve of the colonies and government colonisation programmes. Welfare programmes are not organised via the Alliance Parliament, and so the level of income redistribution varies wildly throughout human space. Independent colonies founded without oversight or support in the outer Traverse and in the Terminus Systems are also undercutting labour and flouting regulations. These problems have been hot political issues for a number of years, and it does not seem likely that they will be resolved any time soon. _

_Humanity's primary exports are foodstuffs, helium-3 fuel, mass-produced consumer equipment, cultural media (books, films, videogames), medical tech, starships and military equipment, while its main imports exotic food, asari cultural media, eezo and manufacturing designs. The human balance of trade is favourable but not entirely so, primarily due to the huge per capita demand for eezo. Humanity's civilian and military fleets are still expanding rapidly, and many new consumer goods require eezo in some quantity, meaning that imports of the element are a substantial drain on the economy. _

**Codex: Politics of the Systems Alliance**

_Aside from economics, the main political issues of the Alliance are humanity's relationship with other species, transhumanism, the continued existence and hostility of the Batarian Hegemony, political and economic corruption, and colonisation politics. _

_Nationalist politics have been in a severe decline as humanity rallied together against what it perceives as many less-than-friendly alien powers around it. However, with slightly less than half of all humans now living on colonies, debates over the political structure of the Alliance have started, particularly over colonial rights. While every major colony is represented in the Consilium, that body is less powerful than the Senate, which is still heavily dominated by Earth due to its concentration of population. This has created debate between federalists, who believe that the directly elected Senate should continue its higher role, and confederalists, who want greater independence for every individual colony._

_Another major issue is the genetic and cybernetic modification of human beings. While major genetic rewrites are forbidden by law and opposed by every political group, debate over the potential of such technologies is fierce. Arguments for longer lifespans and greater capabilities are met in turn with arguments about preservation of humanity's essence and the dangers of abuses. The arguments of both feed into disputes about economics and who should be improved. At present, only Alliance soldiers receive state subsidised genetic improvements, a compromise position reflecting humanity's fear of subjugation and deep disagreements on the subject of enhancement. _

_An issue most of the political factions unite around is humanity's place in the galaxy. Almost every party agrees that the Alliance should engage in regime change in the Kite's Nest against the Batarian Hegemony, although only Terra Firma say that it should be done against the wishes of the Citadel Council. Getting concessions from the Council on political representation at the highest level is a key issue, and every government has asked that humanity be included on the Council itself. Debate over the level of military involvement in humanity's expansion is largely confined to the fringes, the major parties all tend to agree on military spending and the Military Appropriations Committee is the only one that is non-partisan. _

_Each parliamentary session is a five year term, though elections must be called early if the government fails to pass a budget before a certain date each year or it loses a vote on a law which it supports. However, since the first full parliamentary election in 2162, no government has fallen before its term has been up. The closest that any government came to falling was in 2170, after the attack on Mindoir, when the Alliance formally declared the First Skyllian War on the Batarian Hegemony. _

_The parties represented in the Alliance Parliament (in order of numbers of seats) are the Labour Party, the People's Party, the Confederation Party, the Green Party, Terra Firma, the Radical Party and the Spacer League. As of the August 2182 general election, the Government is a grand-coalition of the Labour Party and the People's Party, holding 523 seats between them. The Official Opposition is led by the Confederation Party, the largest party not in government with 112 seats. The election saw the Labour Party's majority government lose a hundred and forty seats, forcing it into a coalition with its main rival, the People's Party._

_Alliance Parliament composition:_

_Labour Party: 262 seats (social-democratic/democratic-socialist, transhumanist, federalist, militarist). Government coalition member. Party Leader: Consul Alexander deBankole. Party heartlands: Earth constituencies, the "old bloc" of pre-First Contact colonies, heavily industrialised colonies of the former._

_The People's Party: 261 seats (corporatist/moderate conservative, moderate human purist, federalist, militarist). Government coalition member. Party Leader: Consul Alice Dennison. Party heartlands: Colonies of the Attican Traverse and the Skyllian Verge, wealthy areas of Earth._

_The Confederation Party: 112 seats (new liberal/colonial rights/libertarian, moderate human purist, confederalist, dovish). Official Opposition Leader. Party Leader: Cason Harri. Party heartlands: Colonies in all regions of space, particularly near Citadel space._

_The Green Party: 60 seats (ecologist/new colonialist, human purist, federalist, pacifist). Opposition. Party Leader: Esme Herriott. Party heartlands: Colonies with touristic aspirations or unique climatic conditions, northern Earth constituencies._

_Terra Firma: 36 seats (human ultranationalist, transhumanist, federalist, imperialist) Opposition. Party Leader: Charles Saracino. Party heartlands: Colonies in the Skyllian Verge and border colonies of the Attican Traverse near the Terminus Systems._

_The Radical Party: 13 seats (collectivist/integrationist, human purist, confederalist, pacifist). Opposition. Party Leader: N/A, collective leadership._

_Spacer League: 6 seats (spacer and minor colony rights, no position on transhumanism, confederalist, militarist). Opposition, Party Leader: Frank Shingleton._


	18. Chapter 14: Resolve

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: _

_Apologies to all my loyal readers for this being late. Aside from the first bits of BF2157 and the Wars of the Systems Alliance stories causing the delay, the first draft of this disappeared entirely from my computer. Three cheers for Windows updates. It certainly felt like I should throw my computer out of a window anyway._

_Blasted away another follower milestone, so the customary codex bonus chapter will go up. Also getting close to 200 favourites, for which I'll probably throw in a soundtrack list... what I listened to as I wrote certain chapters and the like. Again, if anyone wants something clarified, drop a review or a PM and I'll do so at the start of the next chapter or in a codex entry._

_Only one more chapter of Feros left after this one._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter Fourteen: Resolve**

The briefing room of the Normandy was almost full as Shepard entered, Lieutenant Alenko in tow. The seats around the room were filled with angry young officers, seven of them. Some of them sat bolt straight in their chairs, others hunched over, leaning on their knees, their eyes glued to the floor. The atmosphere was full of menace. The soldiers weren't saying anything, but they didn't need to. Captain Toni was dead, and so was one of their fellow lieutenants.

Shepard coughed to get their attention. They all stood up and saluted, but the looks on their faces were still angry. She wondered if they were angry at her, for not intervening sooner or for underestimating the number of krogan. Deciding she would find out, she snapped off a salute of her own and walked to the seat nearest the holo-projectors. Kaidan followed, and stood behind it.

"At ease," she said as she took her seat.

The officers all sat down, their eyes fixed on her, waiting for what she was about to say. Shepard took a breath. What she had to do was not going to go down well with her audience. She was wearing the wrong kind of uniform for a start. Army officers generally resented taking orders from their Navy counterparts. Her own infamy could also get in the way. She decided to deal as honestly as possible.

"Captain Toni was a courageous man, and he died proving that," said Shepard, looking over the men and women in front of her, "But we have to finish the job that he started, and the first order of business is chain of command."

The lieutenants bristled at that, and they all turned to their superior. He was the oldest of them, and had a strange scar on his neck like a burn. Glancing around his fellows, the man seemed to know what was expected of him, and spoke up.

"Major Cassone, ma'am. I am the second-in-command of the company," the man said, "We'll pick up where the Captain left off, and take the fight to the geth as quickly as we can."

Shepard frowned. The message was clear. The company was his territory now, and while he'd work with her to defeat the enemy, the command was to be his. This was more conciliatory that she had expected, but she hesitated for a moment. She needed them to follow her orders if this was going to work. Toni had charged off against her advice, and got himself killed. The same thing couldn't be allowed to happen again. It was likely to if any of the officers in front of her took command. Every single one of them was hunched over with guilt or twitching with rage.

"That's good to hear, but I will be taking command," Shepard said firmly.

"By what right?" asked Cassone, his voice rising now, "You're Navy, and you're not a part of this company!" Shepard realised he was going to fight her on this. The small hope that they could transition smoothly disappeared. She looked to Kaidan for a split second.

"Alliance military code provides that an N7 can take command of any Army unit that has lost its leading officer, provided that their own rank is equal or greater to the equivalent Army rank," Kaidan said, folding his arms, "Not to mention, Shepard is a Council Spectre and can commandeer resources as required."

"I could give less than a rat's ass about Council bureaucracy and alien laws, you don't know the troops like I do!" Cassone continued, addressing Shepard directly, "With all due respect, you're not taking the company from me, it's not your place."

Shepard tilted her head, her urge to strike Cassone rising in her throat. He was making excuses, blind to his own sense of guilt. It was obvious; he wanted to charge off and die gloriously to avenge his commanding officer. It was written all over the man's face. A feeling she knew all too well, but one that had to be controlled. It wasn't just his life on the line.

"Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" Kaidan asked, his own wrath verbally ripping into the air.

Shepard winced. Her own lieutenant just pulled the pin on Cassone's grenade.

"Oh, I know exactly who she is," the Major said, standing up and glaring at Alenko, "You think there is anyone in the Alliance who doesn't? As if she's the only one who ever had a mission go bad? This is Bad Company, we were on Akuze! Batarians are nice and soft compared to thresher maws coming at you in a swarm, so shut your mouth before I put my boot in it!"

"Try it Major, I'll toss you like the sack of trash that you are," Kaidan said, forgetting himself. His biotics flared. Cassone refused to be intimidated and stepped forward, squaring up to the lieutenant.

"You First Legion types..." the Major continued, "Come at me without your biotic tricks, see what happens." His own soldiers got up to restrain him, but he shook them off. The two stared at each other within swinging distance, fists at the ready.

Shepard watched. She was tempted to let Alenko rip through the man. No one in the room had any idea what is was like on Torfan. Thresher maws didn't force teenagers to fight as conscripts, and they didn't strap remote-detonated bombs to slaves and tell them to run or their families would be killed. That worked both ways however. Major Cassone could only speak from his own experience. She had never faced a thresher maw before, and didn't really feel like trying. The Commander sighed wearily, and stood up.

"Enough," Shepard snapped, "Sit, all of you."

She was instantly obeyed, to her great relief. Things had crossed the line, but the male chest-beating exercises had been stopped. She needed to bring things back to reality. They all still had a fight on their hands. The geth weren't in the midst of arguments over leadership, that was certain.

"Let me bottom-line this for you, Major," she said politely, "I'm an N7 officer on detached service in a time of war. I can remove you from command by force if necessary and have you sent to the courts-martial. As a Spectre, I could shoot you and dump your body off the top of this spire. It would all be perfectly legal. I don't want to do either, but you are not in the right state of mind for command. What you said to Lieutenant Alenko just now proves it."

Cassone opened his mouth to speak, with an outraged look on his face. Shepard quickly raised her hand to stop him.

"Let me finish, Major. I am not taking your company, I am borrowing it. We are fighting an enemy that is invading our planets, and turning our people into monsters. Their leader is an insane turian that despises humanity to his very core, and he has a huge warship at his disposal that can outmatch almost anything else out there. And he wants something here. We don't know what, but we must find it. Can you help me or not?"

Shepard sat down, and waited for the answer. A mix of emotions ranging from defiance to fear flashed on Cassone's face, but it finally settled on compliance.

"Alright Commander, you have my cooperation," he said at last, "I still don't like it."

"You don't have to. Ready all vehicles and troops to move out, we'll have a combat briefing here in two hours," said Shepard, "Dismissed."

The officers all stood up, saluted and left. They appeared to be cowed for now, and the Commander hoped they would keep it together until whatever Saren wanted had been found. She turned to Kaidan.

"Lieutenant, that was unnecessary," said Shepard sternly, standing up. He furrowed his brow, not sure what to say.

"And I appreciate it," she added. If he hadn't confronted the Major when he did, she realised that she might have done something stupid herself. It would have ended badly for everyone concerned. She was pleased that he would defend his superior officer, particularly one with her reputation. There were many who feared her as an officer who got people killed by putting the mission first.

"Anything for you, Commander," he smiled. She grinned back, feeling an immense sense of relief. It had gotten messy, but she had the right people for the job.

"Go help Tali with the jammer," said Shepard, "I need to talk to Wrex about the krogan mercenaries."

* * *

Liara watched Wrex as he carried the last body into the makeshift morgue. Along one wall, the bodies of the Alliance soldiers lay in bodybags, along the other, the krogan who had killed them. The latter had no coverings, the bodybags the Alliance had were too small and they didn't have a bigger design to manufacture on hand. Morbid rows of bodies.

The archaeologist wasn't unused to bodies, but the ones she usually dealt with were thousands of years old in most cases. She felt deeply sorry for the soldiers who had died to protect the colony, and had agreed to help with gathering the dead. Wrex on the other hand had been ordered to help by Shepard, mostly to prevent the comrades of the deceased soldiers from killing him out of spite. Liara reflected on this part of human nature, the utterly uncontrollable wrath against anyone who even looked like the enemy who had killed their kin. She knew it was a temporary state of mind for most, but she still felt the asari were more enlightened in this regard. Or so she liked to hope. These thoughts brought a question into her mind.

"Wrex, do you feel sorry for the krogan who serve Saren?" she asked, "Do you blame the humans for killing them?"

Wrex turned his head to the side, one eye staring straight at her. The gaze sent a shiver down Liara's back, and for a moment, she thought she had made a serious mistake. Wrex scoffed, and then chuckled a little to himself.

"I gave up on my people a long time ago," Wrex said finally, "It isn't the genophage killing us, it's our own stupidity."

"What do you mean by that?" Shepard asked, approaching from the stairwell.

Liara turned to the new arrival, a smile on her face. "The genophage stabilises krogan birthrates above replacement rate in theory," she explained, "But the krogan engage in dangerous behaviours, so their population is dwindling." Shepard frowned and shook her head.

Liara was unsure what she thought about the krogan herself. The genophage was a monstrous act against a sentient population, but the krogan weren't exactly proving themselves worthy of being cured of it either. There was little point in curing them only for war to break out soon after.

"Dangerous behaviours, ha! My own father tried his best to put me down the moment I mentioned staying on Tuchanka to concentrate on breeding, so our species could survive," Wrex declared, pointing at Shepard, "The genophage robbed us of our children, but we robbed ourselves of our future."

"Your own father tried to kill you?" Shepard asked, surprise in her voice.

"The moment I challenged his authority, it was inevitable. I was the son of the chief of Clan Urdnot, I couldn't be seen to defy him," Wrex continued, "I killed him and left Tuchanka."

"I am sorry, Wrex," Liara said sympathetically.

"Don't be, it's not like you unleashed the genophage," Wrex replied, before nodding at the row of dead krogan, "Whatever reason they have to fight for Saren, it wouldn't be one worth considering. So no, I don't feel sorry for them."

Liara and Shepard looked at each other, not sure if Wrex was being entirely truthful. His tone wasn't his usual gruff aloofness. Liara thought she detected sadness or even despair in the ranting, but she couldn't be sure.

"So, you still have no idea why Saren has so many krogan to throw at us?" Shepard asked, "Could he have hired this many?"

Wrex turned around again, his eye flashing. Liara moved between him and Shepard quickly but quietly. She wasn't a soldier, but she could throw him around like a doll if she needed to. The krogan looked angry enough to do something ill advised.

"There are enough of us who'll take any job," he said, "But I have to admit, once word got out that he was a traitor to the Council, most wouldn't go near this. It's … unusual for so many to risk it. You can't spend money if you're dead, right? Saren's got something over one or two groups, but I have no idea what."

Wrex turned away, and Liara breathed a sigh of relief. He had been angry at Saren, not Shepard.

"Maybe they do not know he has been declared renegade," she said, "Saren is not frequenting places where extranet access is common, or else he would not be able to hide so easily."

"These ones had omnitools," Wrex replied, pointing to the corpses, "There was access here, they knew."

Liara looked to Shepard. The Commander was deep in thought, her eyes raised upwards. Another curious human gesture. She watched a little longer, until finally Shepard's eyes returned to meet Wrex.

"Something is very wrong here," said Shepard, "Take as many scans of the dead as possible, and go through their omnitools. We need to find where they're coming from. I bet General Haider will be happy for some intel."

"Yeah, yeah, we'll do it," said Wrex, "Just don't leave me behind when we're doing some real fighting. Saren's turian hide belongs to me, and who knows where he's hiding."

Shepard opened up a comm channel to Ashley as she left, talking about deployments.

Liara sighed. She had hoped to talk to Shepard privately, but the Commander was concerned with everything else. She needed to say something soon or it would drive her mad. Depressed a little, she turned back to her companion, hoping his mood would improve.

"Ugh, you smell," said Wrex suddenly. He began sniffing slightly, as if to put emphasis on it.

"What?" asked Liara, startled. There were dozens of dead bodies around, but the krogan was referring to her.

"Not like that," Wrex grinned, looking at the nearest corpse, "Just when Shepard's around."

"Oh... I" Liara murmured, unsure what to say.

"Deal with it or don't," Wrex said as he tore an omnitool bracelet off another krogan body, "Either way, it's amusing. Asari."

* * *

Shepard walked into the chamber, finding Tali and Kaidan huddled around the geth jamming device. It was a tall metal thing, stretching upwards as far as the high ceiling, looking every bit the transmitter it was supposed to be. It worked very well. Whenever Tali found a solution for its interference, it would change its disruption pattern again and the best you could do was transmit your location through the noise. Something that Saren's geth and krogan had used to their advantage to tear Bad Company to pieces in the tunnels and basements.

The Commander felt the grip of guilt on her throat again, for not having been in the lead for the job herself. Maybe things would have been different had she been there earlier. She caught herself staring at the machine responsible, deep in these thoughts. Shaking her head to clear it, she approached. Both the tech experts nodded to acknowledge her presence. She returned as she continued watching.

"Can you help me with this?" Tali asked Kaidan as she tried to pull a module out from the bottom of the structure.

"Sure," the lieutenant replied, before attempting to take it out himself. He failed, and stood up again, stratching his head. "It's jammed in there."

Tali sighed. "I meant with lifting it, not taking out the computer," she said, amusement creeping in to her tone as she indicated the whole structure, "But it's alright. I think I've found a workaround."

Shepard suppressed a grin. It wasn't very often that someone got one over on Kaidan.

"So lieutenant, have you two figured out how to turn it off?" Shepard asked, "As fascinating as it is, blowing it up is a lot quicker."

Tali hmmed to herself before pressing an interface button on her omnitool. The geth jammer immediately powered down, the status lights on it dimming before turning off entirely. The Commander grinned and nodded her satisfaction. The quarian was quickly becoming indispensable to the crew.

"We needed it to stay on so we could hack into it," Tali explained cheerily.

"Can't get good intel if we used the traditional method, Commander," Kaidan said, turning to her now as Tali hefted a control computer out of the grey metal structure. Shepard raised her eyebrow.

"What did you find?" she asked.

"Well, first of all, this is not geth technology," Tali started, waving at the jammer and holding up the computer core, finally out, "It's all made from things you can buy anywhere if you have the right security credentials." Security credentials were a big deal in the Alliance, Shepard knew. Batarian interception of human technology and military intelligence had caused problems in the past, so measures had been taken to limit the availability of many vital technologies.

"So, neither the geth or the colonists put this down here?" Shepard asked.

"Not exactly," Kaidan replied, "Their sponsor Exogeni would be able to buy the necessary equipment, but all of the Exogeni staff are missing, presumed dead. Their spire complex seems to be where the geth rallied for the attack." A corporation with investments in colonies like Exogeni certainly would have the clearance for at least this type of equipment. Shepard began connecting the dots in her head.

"So, Exogeni put this in here, the geth landed in their headquarters," she thought aloud, "They found out about it and turned it on."

"The real question is why did Exogeni have a jamming device in the first place?" asked Tali.

"They're up to something here, and they're covering their asses against leaks and corporate espionage," Kaidan said firmly, "Only reason for a corporation to block a colony's communications." Shepard could think of a few other reasons, particularly given that the safety of the colony was handled by Exogeni's private security forces. The lieutenant wasn't wrong though, intellectual property was a big deal in Citadel space, and industrial espionage could lead to billions of credits lost for research companies.

"Whatever it is, the geth want it badly," said Tali, "There was no information as to what Exogeni were working on in the databanks of this computer and there are no corporate facilities here."

Shepard ran her hand through her hair, frustrated. Of course they didn't put vital information in a jamming device's computer for anyone with a grudge or an agenda to sift through.

"We can't sit around waiting for the geth to attack again," she said, "If the information on what the geth want is at Exogeni headquarters, then that's where we're going." She was getting a little curious about what sort of research the company was doing. It was obviously valuable enough to require such a sophisticated jamming system, never mind valuable enough to draw the attention of Saren.

Kaidan saluted his approval of her plan. Tali watched him do so and added a nod of her own, her real feelings well concealed by her mask's faceplate. Shepard smiled at the two, and clapped them both on the shoulder. They had done well. The mission to come would mean fighting through to the geth bridgehead. She suppressed the small fear of losing the two, the sort she had on every mission now, and waved them to follow her. It was time to settle things.

* * *

"Bad Company, this is Verdun, in position," Shepard reported, "Enemy sighted, standing by." The column of walkers and armoured vehicles had advanced twenty miles without resistance. The skyways had been empty of anything but abandoned Grizzly all-terrain vehicles. Some of the smaller spires were not so empty. Dragon's teeth filled some of the public spaces, a reminder of the price the colonists had already paid. It was not all gloomy however. Dozens of civilians had been picked up, hiding in side passageways that the geth hadn't bothered to search in their advance on Zhu's Hope. They had been sent back for hot food and rest, relief on their faces and thanking their rescuers.

Shepard couldn't help but smile, even as the sight before her threatened the peace of the early evening. She lay on rubble with Liara and Ashley, which itself was piled up on a rise in the skyway. A kilometre in front of their observation post, a geth colossus and several of the armature mechs stood waiting. The situation was exactly why Shepard had gone on ahead, while the company cleared the spire behind. They were nearing the Exogeni complex. The anticipation of the fight mixed with her growing curiosity over what they would find. Her grin widened as she watched the enemy intently. She had them cold and there was a fat prize just waiting to be taken behind them.

"Do all humans enjoy fighting?" Liara asked. Shepard crawled down off her perch, and looked at the asari. The question was being asked genuinely. She pondered the question for a moment. She would have liked to say that humans in general did not like to fight, but human history seemed to disagree with the notion. Her lips curled as she thought about how to square the answer properly.

"I think it's fair to say we thrive on conflict," Shepard replied at last, "There hasn't been a point in our history that we have been at peace, but most people don't like fighting personally."

"But you do?" Liara continued, a worried tone creeping into her voice.

Shepard's face returned to smiling.

"Only three things in my life I've really liked to do - hunt, write and make love," she quoted, "Hemingway said it best, though all I write is after action reports."

Liara looked away quickly, and Shepard returned to her perch snickering to herself. The asari was surprisingly easy to embarrass. It was fun to tease the young archaeologist.

"I didn't know you were a Hemingway fan," Ashley said, not taking her eyes off the idling enemy.

"Occasionally," Shepard said. It got boring on extended reconnaissance missions or in transit. She remembered something her mother once told her, that military life was 90% boredom and uniform inspections, and the other 10% was sheer terror, so it was best to take a few books with you at the very least. Mama knew best.

"Were you not heading towards a more peaceful society before you met the turians?" Liara asked, "The asari had stopped large scale military conflict by the time we discovered the mass effect, and humans tend to organise as democracies like we do."

Ashley burst out laughing. Shepard glanced down at her. She knew what was coming.

"Let's see, we discovered the mass effect in the midst of the Cold War, a worldwide conflict, and before that we had the Asian Unification War, the North American Dissolution War, the Third European Civil War, and the River Plate War all around the same time..." said Ashley, listing the wars off in an impression of a school teacher, "Only reason we weren't fighting each other when we ran into the turians was because we knew there were aliens out here somewhere, who we could fight instead."

"The Prothean ruins on Mars," Liara said, nodding to herself, "I suppose it makes sense that you would be afraid to be caught in a middle of a war with your own kind when you made first contact."

Shepard returned her eyes to the geth, who were still statuesque in their complete stillness. Whether or not humanity was warlike or not was irrelevant to her, there were any number of creatures trying to kill people out in the galaxy and they needed to be stopped. And stopping them was exhilarating.

"We still weren't ready for the turians," Ashley said sombrely, "We weren't ready for the batarians, and we weren't ready for the geth. Seems we always need an ass-kicking just to wake up and smell the coffee."

"But we always win in the end, Gunnery-Chief," said Shepard, reassuring her, "The turians and the batarians had no idea who they were dealing with, the geth and Saren are just the next to find out."

Silence fell over the group. they watched the enemy, nothing more left to say.

The colossus started forwards at a slow pace, heading towards the observation post. After a moment, the armatures began to follow. The group of silver-grey machines marched in eerie unison, but not particularly quickly. Shepard was confused. The mechs were capable of far faster movement, a fact that had almost killed them all on Therum. She continued watching through her designator binoculars, as the enemy walked in a line formation directly towards her.

A horrifying thought occurred to her. The geth knew they were there, but didn't want to give away the fact.

Shepard activated her comms.

"Bad Company, this is Verdun, status report," she half-whispered, keeping her sights on the lumbering colossus. Static met her ear for a minute. Her sinking feeling got worse. A delay in the reply could only mean one thing.

"Verdun, we're still aiding some civilians and clearing the spire," came the reply from Major Cassone, "Do you need assistance?"

"By the time you get here, we won't," Shepard replied, "Are the gunships up?"

"On station and ready," Cassone replied, "Sending you the channel now."

Shepard's omnitool beeped, and a comm channel was added to her list. The gunships could annihilate the geth with little trouble, but the ammunition they'd use to do it was limited. If the colossus was the last major obstacle the geth had to throw in the way, that wouldn't be a problem. There was no way to know if that was the case. If they had more armoured units ahead of these ones, Bad Company's walkers would have a far more even fight to deal with than otherwise would be the case.

The decision was taken away from her. The mechs stopped, and began charging their plasma weaponry for a barrage. The snouts of the entire line glowed with white-blue light, as each braced their front two legs together to fire.

"Everyone down!" Shepard shouted, rolling down the heaped concrete and steel bars. Painful, even with armour on, but staying where she was would have been worse. The superheated bolts blasted into the rubble seconds later, sending red-hot metal and shattered chunks of cement flying past her head. As the dust settled, she breathed in, relieved that she was wearing her helmet.

Shepard looked to see if the others had made it. Liara was helping Ashley out from under a large block which had fallen across another, but they both seemed unharmed. Satisfied that they were okay, she opened the comm channel to the gunships.

"All air units, stand-by for laser designation," she said, as she scrambled up the far-less navigable pile of rubble once more. She peeked over the top. The geth weren't taking advantage of their attack, and were waiting. She scowled. They were expecting a counterattack. They learned a little too quickly for comfort.

"Verdun, this is Night Witch, on station and standing-by for target coordinates," said the gunship pilot.

Shepard brought her binoculars up once again, just over the edge of the concrete, and activated the designation function. She aimed the laser at the colossus, the most dangerous target.

"Sending target coordinates," said Shepard, clicking the button to do just that.

"Strike aimed at ground unit, target in sight," came the reply.

The three gunships flew in view, swooping into line along the skyway behind the geth. The payloads dropped, arcing downwards. Guide fins deployed from the bombs, as the gunships accelerated away at top speed, sonic booms shaking the air. Shepard watched the first bomb fall towards the colossus. The geth armatures seemed to react, trying to spread out. They only managed a single step each before the bombs glided lazily into their midst. The explosions burst between them in a daisy-chain, sending the smaller armatures near the edge flying off the skyway as if hit by an invisible tsunami. The colossus disappeared from sight, the epicentre of the first detonation. The blast waves blew dust and dirt down the road in a ripple.

"Night Witch, returning to base," the pilot reported. The gunships would have to re-arm now, but they had done the job.

Shepard put down her binoculars, the familiar feeling of absolute victory washing over her once again. The smoke would take some time to clear, but there wasn't going to be any geth left alive in the blast zone. Even the synthetics weren't immune to the blast effects of laser-guided two thousand pound bombs. She looked to her asari companion, interested to see what the the archaeologist would do.

"By the goddess, what was that?" Liara asked, staggering to her feet.

"A little something we brought back for the batarians," replied Ashley, a glowing smile on her face, "Kinetic barriers don't fire up a lot of the time until it's too late."

"Doesn't work against ships, unfortunately," Shepard added, walking to her teammates, "Come on, only one more spire to pass before we can find out what has Saren so interested in this planet."

* * *

After another fifteen minutes of travel, the column picked up a signal. It was broadcasted on the main emergency band, but it was weak. The jammers were online at this end of the skyway, and they were making it difficult to understand what the woman in the transmission was saying. Shepard immediately ordered Cassone and his troops to investigate it, and they found a whole group of Exogeni employees hiding out in the weigh station. Corporate security, researchers and the heads of staff.

The Commander's jubilation at finding so many of the corpers alive was shortlived however. As soon as she arrived, her ears were assaulted. Their leader, Ethan Jeong, approached and opened his mouth. It didn't seem to want to close.

"There's no point going over there, no one is left alive," he said, trying to convince her that the effort was pointless for the third time, "And frankly, your soldiers tearing the place apart would damage Exogeni property to an unacceptable degree, so you can't go. I won't let you."

Shepard had to restrain herself from simply shooting the man and asking the next person. As she glanced to her companions, she could tell she wasn't the only one. Ashley, Wrex and Garrus all had pained faces on them, as if they wanted to step forward and do something. She didn't blame them. Jeong's behaviour was suspicious enough for rash action, and he was the sort of man that provoked it. Data was backed up, and anything else could be replaced, so what were Exogeni hiding? She knew it must be what Saren was after.

"Has Exogeni had visits from any turians lately?" Shepard asked, circling the man. Jeong looked very confused, curling his nose up at the question as if it was an absurdity. She stopped and glared at him. He didn't know what she was talking about, but the question had thrown him nonetheless.

"The turian with you is the first I've seen since coming to Feros," he said, "What that has to do with anything?"

"Don't pay attention to the news, I take it?" Kaidan asked, "You do realise we're at war with the geth?" Jeong turned to Alenko, angry now.

"I am aware, yes," he said, "What has that got to do with turians or Exogeni?"

"The geth are following a rogue turian Spectre by the name of Saren," Wrex cut in, raising himself to his full height, "But I suppose you know nothing about that!"

"N-no..." stuttered Jeong. He began backing off, and his hand reached slowly for a pistol at his side. Shepard believed him. He didn't seem to be the sharpest tool in the shed, and there was little to gain from lying now that the open threat of violence had been made. She pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment, and stepped forward.

"You have no way to stop us, we're going to find out whatever it is you're hiding down there," said Shepard, "Can't you just cooperate? What is it you're working on that's so valuable?"

Jeong wavered for a moment, his eyes darting between members of the heavily armed party in front of him. The Commander frowned. The man was torn between spilling his guts and keeping absolutely silent. He was caught by something equally as terrifying as a Spectre. That didn't bode well.

"I can't tell you what we were working on, I'd lose everything from the breach of contract alone," he said, "But like you said, I can't stop you, so try not to break anything when you're down there."

Shepard narrowed her eyes. He flinched slightly, which was the effect she had been aiming for. She had no intention of letting him off so easily.

"You're going to give me your identity and security cards," she said, a smile plastered on her face, "Because we're at war and it's the patriotic thing to do."

"But I..."

"No buts, unless you'd like to see your butt on the inside of an Alliance prison," she said cheerily, slapping him on the back, "So what's it going to be? After all, you can't stop me."

Jeong moved his jaw, unable to speak. After a few moments, his head dropped and his hand went into his pocket. From it, he produced three cards, one identification card and two clearance cards.

"You made the right choice," Kaidan said firmly, as Shepard and the rest left the man to his misery.

A woman approached as they were making their way to Major Cassone. She was wearing Exogeni lab uniform, and clearly commanded the respect of the other employees; they had parted like the Red Sea as soon as she had approached. Perhaps Jeong wasn't the brains of the operation after all?

"Hello, you're Shepard, right?" she said hopefully, "Could we speak for a minute?"

The Commander smiled, and waved her crew to keep walking while she talked. All of them left except Liara. The woman stepped closer.

"I'm Juliana Baynham, head microbiologist with Exogeni," she said, "If you're going to the lab building, could you look out for my daughter Lizbeth? She's a researcher. Ethan says she's probably dead, but I last saw her heading to the main lab area when the geth landed. Please, I have to know she's safe."

"Of course we will," said Liara before Shepard could even think about it, "You have our word."

The Commander looked at her companion, only to find the asari looking right back with pleading eyes. The stare made her feel somewhat guilty. Very few things could make her feel that way anymore. She shrugged.

"We're going to be going there anyway," Shepard said at last, "No harm in looking for your daughter." Or her body, she thought grimly as soon as she had finished speaking. The geth weren't much for taking prisoners.

"Oh, thank you!" said Juliana, tearing up, "She's my only child, and I was powerless to do anything." Shepard felt better about it. Bringing hope to people was better than being a figure of fear. The mother's face was lit up by it.

"Maybe you can help me in return," she said, "Do you know if any of Exogeni's research would be valuable to the geth?"

"I was working on a fascinating spore sample for a number of months," Juliana explained, "Its capabilities and ability to send messages to other spores to be precise, like a nervous system would. It's valuable, but not so valuable that the geth would show up to take it. As for the other research, it was all compartmentalised. Only Jeong knows about all the projects for security reasons. Lizbeth is never allowed to talk about her own work to me, or we'd both lose our contracts."

Shepard frowned. That didn't sound like anything Saren or the geth would be interested in at all. It wouldn't help them get to the Conduit, it didn't seem like it could be used as a weapon, and the information could have probably been taken by Saren without invading the planet. She was caught in her thoughts for a while. She became frustrated wondering just what in the hell the turian bastard wanted on Feros, and whether or not to have Wrex beat on Jeong a little to see if he'd talk.

"Thank you, Juliana," Shepard said, after a minute, "With any luck, we'll be back with your daughter."

"Shepard, you're going to want to see this!" Garrus shouted from across the room, near the balcony. His voice was urgent. She glanced over. All the corper security and Alliance soldiers were looking out onto the skyway.

"Come on," Shepard said to Liara, her throat tied. They went to join their crewmates, finally pushing through the gap in the crowd near Wrex. The Commander pulled out her binoculars.

A full view of the Exogeni building was possible, a large spire almost identical to Zhu's Hope as far as Shepard could tell. Attached to it was a geth frigate, clinging to the structure with claws like a fly on a wall. That wasn't what everyone was watching.

Another vessel was hovering on the skyway ahead. It was shaped something like an Earth beetle, being flatter and wider than the frigate was, although they were both approximately the same size. It was made of the same grey-purple metallic compound as most geth ships. Mass accelerators hung off its belly menacingly, and an anti-aircraft battery sat on its back. It was moving slowly forwards.

Shepard put down her binoculars in shock, her hands shaking with anger.

"What is that thing?" asked Wrex, "Looks like it could take out an entire platoon of tomkahs on its own."

"It's a titan," Shepard said in complete disbelief, "A geth titan."


	19. Chapter 15: Falling Beast

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD:  
_

_I said there would be only one more chapter on Feros, but this part took far more words than I thought it would. I didn't really want to post a ten thousand word chapter. So, the next chapter will in fact be the last of Feros._

_As for the rest of it, I've been reading through other fictions on this site only since I began writing this, and it seems that many authors have a release schedule that they follow. So, I'll pledge to one myself. I aim to get a chapter of something up every week. Two chapters of Battlefield 2183 will be followed by a chapter of the Secret History of the First Contact War, and the cycle will repeat. The Wars of the Systems Alliance story will be released whenever I have writer's block, as it exists simply to get rid of my thoughts on the wars of the era. So, expect a lot more Battlefield-Mass Effect from now on, I guess._

_One more thing: Reviews, ladies and gents. Tell me how my writing is. If it sucks, tell me, if it doesn't, same thing. Really helps me get a feel for what you guys think, and the positive reviews make me write faster!_

_Anyway, here is the next chapter. Enjoy!_

**Chapter Fifteen: Falling Beast  
**

The geth titan hung in the air over the skyway, firing its mass accelerators into the building from a distance. Each impact detonated with furious explosive force, shaking crumbled concrete off of ledges and roof supports. The ubiquitous dust that seemed to coat everything inside the buildings on Feros transferred itself to clothing and hair, clinging by static or sweat. Shepard found herself keeping her full-face helmet on, and dusting off her visor every few minutes. Zhu's Hope was far cleaner, but having the concrete substance half-blind her with every detonation was better than trying to make a break for it.

The civilian audience had watched the titan roll ever closer in morbid fascination, before Shepard had ordered them away from the balconies and windows out of fear that it would start firing. Most had never seen one of the most fearsome planetside weapons ever conceived in person before. In vids and as toys for children, the titans were always marketed as the protectors of humankind, the history of the devastation they caused in the Cold War relegated to the memory of elders as the killing was now suffered by alien aggressors instead. The Commander's fears were absolutely correct, and as soon as the titan was in optimal range, it had started firing at anything that moved in front of it.

Thankfully, the Prothean structures were hardened like bunkers against such attacks. Liara had explained that many of them across the galaxy were similarly constructed, the reasons for which remained a mystery like so much else about the precursor race. Shepard was just happy that the spire wasn't collapsing around their ears, as she huddled on the leeward side of the building from enemy titan's fire with the others.

As Shepard sat on the open rear hatch of her Mako with Ashley and Kaidan, planning their next move, Cassone approached quickly. She was unable to read his face, as he had opted for full environmental gear just as she had, but his gait was one of purpose. She pursed her lips inside her helmet, unsure what his intentions were.

"Commander, we need to retreat," the Major said calmly, "We don't have the firepower to deal with a titan." While this was true in the strictest sense, Cassone's alternative had a serious fault. Shepard felt her patience being tested. The fault was obvious even to him. She decided to play along. She knew she could shoulder the burden.

"If we retreat, we die," Shepard said, jumping off the Mako and regaining her feet, "The titan will come around the spire and shoot us as we run."

"So what do you suggest?" Cassone said, brushing his mask as another detonation blew dust around the space.

"We can't stay here," Ashley cut in, "Prothean or not, this building can't keep taking a beating and stay up." Shepard sighed. Time to bite the bullet.

"We destroy it the old way," the Commander explained, "We take disable its shields, and board it with the assault pods. Destroy it from the inside." She awaited the inevitable objection.

"But how? Even the walkers don't have that sort of firepower," Cassone asked, affecting surprise at the plan. His acting was terrible, and Shepard could see right through it.

"We use the Normandy," replied Shepard, "She can't destroy it without taking damage, but we can drop the shields long enough to get onto it. With a little luck, we might be able to draw off that frigate as well."

"Are you suggesting what I think you are?" said Cassone, "We'd need to use all the APCs' assault pods to make it a success. We'd have to charge the titan's cannons before we could get into range."

Shepard smiled behind her mask. The scheme was revealed. He was sure that only an all-out attack would work, but didn't want to order it himself.

"No, we use your company to draw the titan in," Shepard said firmly, "My team will board it alone."

All three heads turned to her. Cassone's expression remained hidden, but her crewmates' were not. Kaidan smirked, while Ashley's eyes widened in surprise. The lieutenant was First Legion, Alliance Special forces with the training to board and destroy titans. The gunnery-chief had more than likely trained to do this job as well in basic training, but Williams was not from an orbital assault unit. It had likely been years since she had drilled to board a titan, but she would have to make do. Both soldiers said nothing, and looked to the Major for his response. Shepard smiled behind her mask. Both were ready, in their own way. All were silent, waiting for her to explain.

"Enough of your company have died on this rock already, Major," Shepard said softly, her eyes locked to his through the dusty visor, "Someone needs to be left to defend the colonists, if we do it any other way, there might not be any of us left."

Cassone stared back for a moment, and then started taking off his breather mask. His face was wearing a look approaching respect. Shepard was surprised. She wondered what to do for a moment, and then held out her hand. The Major looked at it, and then shook it.

"Godspeed, Commander," he said, before leaving the group. Shepard watched him walk away, hoping that he thought better of her a little. She sighed, and turned back to Kaidan and Ashley.

"Shepard, I don't think any of our new crew know how to use an assault pod," said the lieutenant, crossing his arms, "And Wrex is a little too big to fit into one anyway." Ashley grinned, no doubt trying to imagine squeezing the krogan into a pod. Shepard found herself wondering if the pod would even launch. However, that wasn't the plan.

"There's someone who definitely has been trained to do this," the Commander said.

"And who is that?" Ashley asked, playing along.

"Vakarian," Shepard replied, "Do either of you think for a minute that the turian military hasn't studied our tactics?"

The two subordinates looked at each other. They both hadn't really considered it. It had been a long time since the turians had been openly hostile to humanity, so Shepard didn't really blame them for that. She smirked at their naiveté.

"I guess that does make sense, if you look at it from a politician's point of view," Ashley said, conceding the point.

"Wait a minute...Have the geth stopped shooting?" Kaidan said. They all looked up, and waited for the next detonation. It didn't come. The Commander realised what that meant. The geth were coming.

"We need to find Vakarian, now!" Shepard shouted, running to do just that.

* * *

The armoured vehicle drove into view, up the ramp from the lower level. The noise of the engine was drowned out by the sounds of battle echoing off the walls from every direction. It was an inelegant thing. Its low profile was boxy. Thick slabs of slightly sloping armour on all side and its wheels were similarly protected. Small turrets ringed its top, machineguns poking out of most of them. Its metal hide was painted in a grey and white pattern, in the way human vehicles often were. It was the bigger, tougher, ugly father of the Mako.

Garrus Vakarian had recognised it as soon as they had set out from Zhu's Hope. Footage of the vehicle in action was shown to every turian soldier since the Relay 314 Conflict. The humans named it after a mammalian rodent creature that was native to Earth. He was hit with a wave of nostalgia as the Groundhog halted ahead, its passenger compartment opening up in front of him.

The turian turned back to the group. Shepard, Alenko and Williams were checking their gear for the last time. The Commander had traded her sniper rifle for an automatic shotgun. It was going to be a brutal close quarters fight. None of them had any idea what they'd find inside, or if the geth titan even had an inside, but there was no other choice. The Normandy couldn't destroy it, especially not with an enemy ship nearby. Garrus couldn't help but feel that it would all go wrong. That they wouldn't defeat the enemy, and Saren would get what he wanted. His chest tightened at the thought of it.

T'soni, Tali and Wrex were similarly preparing. The defence of the tower was going to be desperate as well. The Alliance teams couldn't expose themselves to the geth without facing the wrath of the titan's guns. The geth were going to get into the building, where the heavy weapons of the human vehicles would be less effective. Garrus was almost glad he wasn't going to be there to see it.

"The geth are advancing now, they're throwing everything they have left at us!" said Tali, her omnitool active, "If you don't start moving soon, you won't be able to move at all!"

Garrus watched Shepard approach the young quarian. The Commander had a look of finality on her face that he hadn't seen before, but it wasn't despair or resignation.

"Tali, take Wrex and Liara to the main defences and help the Alliance troops," said Shepard, "Meet us at Exogeni when we've taken care of it."

Wrex grunted his approval, and went with Tali back down the ramp towards the shooting. At least the geth would have to contend with him. Garrus felt a little better. T'soni didn't move an inch, looking like she needed to say something.

Shepard caught Garrus' eyes with her own for a moment, before turning back to the asari. Not wanting to get in the way, he turned to the other two humans coming along for the ride.

"So, shall we get on board?" he said to them. Alenko nodded, before slapping Williams on the back.

"Don't worry, gunny," Kaidan said, "You'll enjoy it."

"I didn't enjoy it the first time, I doubt I'll enjoy it now," replied Ashley.

The three climbed into the vehicle, and into their individual pods.

Each assault pod had an individual targeting system for a weapon on the top, with a camera feed and sensor information flowing off a small interface. Garrus strapped himself into the pod's restraints, the sections magnetising to parts of his armour. He looked around the cabin, and saw that Shepard still hadn't entered. Starting to feel a bit apprehensive, he played with the joystick of the machinegun his pod was linked to, turning it forwards to see what was ahead.

The heavy reinforced doors were flanked on both sides by two walkers, waiting for the assault, but not a soul could be seen. Everyone knew what was about to happen.

Shepard finally climbed into the APC, and the passenger compartment door shut closed with a pressurised hiss. Now things would get rolling. She sat down into her own pod, and activated her comms.

"Normandy, this is Verdun Squad, we're ready," she said, as the vehicle began moving towards the gates, "Are you in position?"

"We are ready and standing by for your order," replied Pressly, "Good luck."

The whole plan required excellent coordination. The Normandy could damage a titan in theory, but the possibility of taking damage itself from return fire was high. Taking down the enemy shields for just long enough to board was risky as well, however. Attack too early, and the shields would recharge in time to stop the assault pods. Attack too late, and the titan would cripple the Normandy anyway. Garrus was confident they could pull this part of the plan off, though. Joker was an excellent pilot.

"Verdun, moving out!" Shepard shouted.

Garrus watched the gates open on his interface, zooming in with the optics. The skyway was revealed. Geth squads were advancing, three armatures leading them. More geth units were dropping, landing hard and then unfolding to fight. Their heads glowed, as they always did. This was barely worthy of note compared to the titan itself. Garrus couldn't help but fear the weapons hanging off of its snout, as it hovered ominously above the path towards Exogeni.

"Forward!" ordered Shepard. The vehicle lurched, starting on its way, shaking the occupants for a moment. The walkers paced ahead, firing as they left the safety of the tower. Their targets were the armatures. Garrus began firing himself, and the rest of the crew followed suit. The big mechs were not the only threat. The APC's interior filled with the rattle of the gunfire. There was no shortage of targets.

Dozens of geth continued to march fearlessly, unloading their rockets and accelerator weapons at the oncoming attackers. The active defences flared as the rockets were intercepted, while the barriers kept the rest of the fire at bay. For the moment.

Garrus flicked his eyes between firing at the massed groups of geth and the shield status indicator. The APC's shields were being drained fast, and they weren't in boarding range of the titan yet.

"Shepard, the shields!" he warned, firing his weapon at a geth destroyer that popped out of a side passage. He didn't kill it in time. It launched a rocket, which bypassed with active defences and impacted directly on the shields. One more good hit, and they'd be wrecked.

"Walkers Six and Seven, this is Verdun, take up position ahead of us, Shepard said with supernatural calm. The two walking tanks did as they were ordered, and began soaking up the rounds. Garrus sighed with relief as the shield indicator began creeping back to a healthy state. The titan was getting ever closer.

The geth ground units began scattering, jumping off the edge of the skyway or scuttling into the numerous under-passages and access hatches. Garrus turned his gun upwards, to confirm what he feared. He almost choked when he saw it. The titan's weapons were swivelling on their mounts, tracking to their new targets, their barrels glowing with the energy buildup.

The geth opened up, the front battery's dual cannons firing in sequence. The first rounds burst off of the left walker's shields, but the follow-up shots detonated on the armour. The walker tipped over, a ragged hole torn in its side. The APC swerved to avoid it. Garrus had a quick look at the wreck. The crew compartment looked intact. He sighed with relief. The brave crew had probably survived.

The titan fired again, this time hoping to catch both the APC and the escorting walker. Garrus held on to the sides of his pod as the driver swerved again, this time far more violently and from side-to-side. The impacts of the enemy's shots smashed huge potholes into the road's surface, as the wide barrage missed the mark. The escort was not so capable of dodging, however.

The armoured mech took three shots directly to the top of its head. The shields failed with the first detonation, and the rest cut deep into the hull. It fell forwards, the crew cabin and weapons modules gutted with fire. The APC swerved again to avoid crashing into the metal coffin, as it burned.

The titan's weapons were overheated. They smoked gently and glowed slightly, but it would be a matter of moments before they were all killed. Garrus turned his weapon to the rear of the vehicle, back towards the geth units that were still advancing on the tower. If this was to be his last moment, he would live it to defend the lives of others. The only honourable end to be had.

"Titan in range," chimed the APC's VI, "Awaiting command to convey."

Garrus slammed his fist on the console in triumph. They had made it.

"Now Joker!" Shepard said.

Garrus turned his gun once again, just in time to see the show.

The Normandy dived on the titan from the sky, like a Palaven hawk on its prey, firing as it did so. The mass-accelerator shots impacted the titan's shields, but the GARDIAN lasers landed on the target's back. Ablative armour fizzled off as each successive hit did more damage. Garrus' heart lifted at the sight, but Joker wasn't done yet.

The Normandy's torpedo launchers fired, the long tubes shooting forth. As he watched, Garrus thought they might miss. For the second or so that he could follow their flight path, they wobbled in the air, but the shots hit home. The sound of metal groaning and splintering filled the air, as the mass-destabilising effects of the Javelin torpedoes tore into the hull of the geth titan. It was music to Garrus' ears.

The Normandy pulled away, Joker gunning the engine as the anti-aircraft battery began to retaliate. No one in the APC would have time to appreciate the sight or worry for the fate of their crewmates however.

"Enemy shields disabled, conveying to titan," the VI intoned, and the APC came to a halt.

The assault pods closed themselves and pressurised. The interface image turned to face forwards, towards the titan. Kaidan's pod fired first, a trail of smoke following it in the air as it flew into the sky. Ashley's followed it, and then Shepard's.

Garrus took a deep breath and exhaled it.

His pod fired. He felt his stomach almost fall out of him, the gravitational forces not entirely counteracted by the mass effect fields. His own metal shell raised itself above the enemy flyer. The ground rushed away, the APC getting smaller below. Then the forces reversed themselves as the pod peaked in its flight arc, and began its descent. Now came the hard part.

* * *

Shepard's pod landed hard on the flight deck of the geth titan, a flat surface that jutted out from the back of the flying fortress for gunships. The latter were thankfully absent. The impact had jarred her, but she exited the unfolding pod and grabbed her weapon from its holster. She swung around, checking that there were no targets and that her teammates had landed safely.

"Clear, Commander," Kaidan reported. Ashley and Garrus were crouched at either side of the aperture to the interior, a heavy metal door blocking their entrance. It was barely tall enough for a person to get through. Shepard nodded to herself. They were safe, for the moment. The geth weren't rushing them yet.

She looked up at the tangled mess of broken panels, coagulating ablative shielding leaking from the top of the titan. The torpedoes had caused serious damage, but titans were built with orbital attacks in mind. It would take far more to destroy one than a single attack run from a single frigate, but the beetle-like dome of armour was shattered. Now, the killing blow had to be delivered. Shepard searched the skies for the Normandy for a moment, hoping that her ship and crew were alright. She couldn't find it, and the comms were jammed.

"Alenko, get this door open," she said, after exhaling her worry. The mission came first. The lieutenant stepped forward to the control panel, and began interfacing with it.

The booming of the guns started again, like a two drums beating in alternating patterns. One for the discharges, one for the impacts. Shepard's impatience grew. She checked her weapon unnecessarily, a reflex motion that she picked up on Torfan. She stopped herself, and moved to the interface herself.

"Any luck?" she asked Kaidan, as she scanned the screen with her own eyes.

"There isn't a simple button to open it from the outside, and the access programme is adaptive," he said, "I can crack it, but I'm not sure how long it would take."

Shepard clenched her fist. They didn't have time for screwing around with hacking the doors. They had too much to do once they got inside, and the fight was still going on. The titan's cannons sounded to reminder her. She started up her omnitool minifacturer.

"Alright, we're doing it the old way," Shepard said. She manufactured a thick thread of explosive, and began applying it to the edges of the door. Once she had finished, she stuck a breaching charge in the middle.

"Alright, everyone back!" she ordered.

The team moved to the corners of the launch pad along the edge of the hull, where the blast forces would be weakest. Shepard readied herself for the blast.

"Fire in the hole," she said softly, and tapped the detonator.

The metal rang out like a high pitched bell as the explosions exerted their force on the door. The boom shook the floor. Shepard got up and rushed, shotgun at the ready. When she made it, she nearly threw down her weapon in frustration. The damned door was still standing, albeit heavily damaged.

She gave it a hard kick with a running start, putting her full weight into the action. The metal groaned, but held fast. With an exasperated sigh, she brought up her omnitool interface to make more explosives. Kaidan put his hand on her shoulder.

"I got this," the lieutenant said.

Vakarian and Williams stepped back, as Shepard watched the display. Summoning his abilities, Kaidan applied them to the ragged door. The torn metal, twisted and broken, flew away onto the empty landing pad as the biotic pulled it from the frame. It landed with a clang.

The Commander was satisfied. She raised her shotgun once again, and entered the titan's interior. How similar to an Alliance titan it was surprised her. The corridors were about the same size and shape. Metal barriers punctuated the walls, firing positions for defending troops to use, thankfully unoccupied at that moment.

Shepard felt uneasy. Where were the defenders?

"Let's move," she said quietly. They advanced through the corridor, and quickly came upon a cargo bay. Rows of geth terminals stood at mute attention, the units they would usually hold all deployed on the skyway. Hopefully.

They paced down the line, glancing at the machines and taking note of their numbers. Human and turian titans could hold about a company's worth of soldiers, but they had to hold food and water facilities. It was possible that the entire geth force had deployed in this titan alone, and that added up to far more than a company's worth.

Shepard glanced around the space, checking each terminal individually as she passed. She didn't want some geth hopper popping up from one of them without warning. The temptation to start blasting them boiled up in her, but she resisted. She scanned the nearest one, sure that the intel would be useful to someone somewhere. Probably Haider and her lackeys.

"Shepard, look," said Ashley, pointing at something.

The Commander turned to see, and found a huge console in the middle of the far wall, flanked on both sides by ladders leading up to a large blast door. The reactor core was surely up there, and the console contained the controls and safeties. Shepard smiled. She had found what she was looking for.

She watched in horror as Garrus raised his weapon, making to fire.

"Wait!" Shepard shouted loudly. Ashley and Kaidan looked at her like she was mad. Garrus lowered his weapon, and turned to her.

"Turian protocol states that safeties are to be taken offline by destroying the reactor consoles," Garrus said, clearly confused as to why he had been stopped.

Shepard nodded, and ran to the machine in question.

"Ours is the same, but our reactors are designed so that they don't blow up if you do that," Shepard said, as an interface appeared above her head, "We need to make sure the geth have the same idea, or else the reactor could detonate when we blow up the core."

The geth didn't care about casualties for one reason or another. She suspected that they would have no problem with their titans turning into thermonuclear weapons if they were breached. Such a thing would leave more humans dead than geth. Shepard worked furiously at the console, trying to figure out whether or not it was the case.

"I wish Tali was here," said Ashley, glancing over her shoulder at her commander's toiling as she aimed her weapon at the nearest door, "She's a real genius at this."

"Can't disagree there," muttered Shepard, as she tried to hack into the system. It was proving extremely resistant to attack.

"If the geth have titans, we'll need to train her to use assault pods," Garrus said, ever the practical thinker, "No use having a geth expert that can't help us destroy them."

Shepard continued her work. The programming kept changing, adapting to her moves as she forced her way past firewalls. She was making progress, but it was getting harder. She realised something, and stopped dead. As she did so, a bolt of pain went through her hands. She withdrew them quickly. The console interface overloaded, arcs of electricity sparking between the haptic interface nodes before the whole thing died.

The Commander's realisation was confirmed.

"What the hell was that?" asked Kaidan, leaning around a geth terminal to look.

"The titan is sentient," Shepard said, "The geth controlling it just overloaded the panel to stop me from accessing the core controls. I should have expected this." Garrus and Ashley looked at each other, not quite sure they believed it, as Kaidan went to her.

"We can worry about a titan that can think for itself later. I can fix the interface, just give me a minute," Kaidan said, bringing up his own omnitool to start the work.

Garrus opened fire on his side, and Shepard quickly swung around to see what he was shooting at. Geth units were huddled around the edges of the doorway, trying to aim at them. She realised that they had been led into a trap. The titan had allowed her to try and breach its defences to buy time for the ground troops to arrive.

Garrus continued pouring shots at them, but Shepard knew his heat sink wouldn't last forever.

"We don't have a minute!" said Ashley, as she began firing at another group of geth trying to enter from the opposite doorway. Shepard cursed, and aided her subordinate with a few potshots with her shotgun. The geth were unperturbed, and fired back.

Shots began pinging off the metal walls and blasting through the terminals, as the geth tried to pin them down. Shepard ducked behind the nearest terminal, flinching as a round meant for her head bounced off the side of it. They would never figure out the reactor safeties in time. Not with a geth squad breathing down their neck.

Shepard stood, and ran towards the console. Shots chased her, impacted her kinetic barriers and the ground around her feet. She ignored them, and brought her shotgun to bear. Shooting until her thermal clip was overheated, she emptied her weapon into the top of the computer. It quickly turned into a mesh of metal, wiring and conductive fluids. Not a spark flew. The thing was dead.

The Commander's efforts were rewarded with the distinct sound of heavy blast doors opening. The noise filled the space between shots from mass-accelerators. She was ready to cheer, but remembered that the next part could seem them all atomised in nuclear fire if her suspicions were correct. It was a gamble, but they had to take it. She scrambled up the nearest ladder, and when she reached the top, found Kaidan already waiting at the summit of the other.

"Ashley, Garrus, get up here!" Shepard ordered, expelling the expended clip from her weapon. The two fell back to the ladders in perfect coordination, while the Commander and Kaidan fired to distract the geth. The synthetics were moving into the room, jumping between the terminals like rabbits or kangaroos. Shepard desperately tried to keep them at bay, firing her weapon at each that came too close, but there were too many and they moved with great agility. She helped Ashley climb to her feet.

"Into the reactor room!"

The four retreated back through the blast doors, as the geth charged. The fusion reactor was the centrepiece of the room, humming away as it worked, providing power to the capacitors for the anti-grav systems and the shields. The walls were a mass of monitoring equipment and pipes, regulating everything to do with the reactor and bringing power to other parts of the titan.

Shepard didn't have much time to admire it. The geth were coming. She went directly to the core's metal-ceramic shielding and began placing explosive charges, confident her teammates would cover the exit. The reactor design was similar to one universal to many ships, and she knew exactly where to place them for maximum effect. As she finished, she noticed a bank of computers light up.

"Intruders, the old machines shall prevail, your work is futile," droned a voice. The titan was speaking to her.

Shepard was in no mood to talk to a murderous machine. She strolled up to the processors, levelled her shotgun and fired on them. The automatic fire tore through the metal as easily as it had with the reactor console. No more synthesized voices spoke. Satisfied, the Commander returned to the others. "Charges are set, let's get out of here!" she said.

A geth hopper jumped into the room beside her. She pinned the thing with her foot, leaning her full weight onto its back, before blasting it in the head. The others took it as a sign, and the four charged out of the reactor room, guns blazing. The familiar combat high filled Shepard, as they began to fight their way out.

The path was blocked by geth, but not in unmanageable numbers. Shepard had chosen the right weapon for the job. The automatic shotgun shredded opponents up close, and puddles of conductive fluid began forming as she downed half a dozen of the enemy on her own. The group jumped down into the terminal room, ignoring the ladders.

"Lieutenant, you're up!" Shepard said, searching for another target and finding one.

Kaidan held his hand up, and formed a fist. A singularity appeared between the team and the doorway. The geth were sucked into its gravity well. Floating around, they continued trying to fire with some success, but the lieutenant wasn't done yet. As Shepard and the others fought off those not caught in the trap, he sent a warp bolt at the floating enemies. The singularity detonated, flinging the geth at the walls, floor and into terminals with metal-snapping force.

Shepard saw her chance, her head light with the anticipation of victory. She ran as hard as she could through the debris of the enemy squad, through to the corridor they had entered by. She ducked in behind one of the barriers in the space, and activated the detonator.

The explosion rocked the titan. The infiltration team all fell, grabbing the wall to stop themselves from being entirely keeled over. Shepard got back on her feet, watching as the geth tipped over and ran into one another. A grin plastered itself on her face, as she aimed at the pile and fired.

"They're down, go!" Shepard shouted, her shotgun booming out between words. The rest of the team complied eagerly, running out of the shattered doorway. A quick burst to cover her escape later, and she followed them. The titan was moving away from the skyway, to hover over the abyss below.

Shepard watched the other three stop at the edge of the platform. She ran to them, and peered over the side. The ground was moving away. They would be stranded as the titan blew itself up if they didn't jump soon.

"Kaidan, can you get us down?!" she asked.

The lieutenant replied by way of summoning his powers. Shepard nodded, and trusting her subordinate, jumped off the titan. As she fell, the biotics enveloped her body and she felt lighter. The sensation was pleasant, but she had little time to enjoy it.

The spot she intended to land at was a little too close to the edge of the skyway below.

Shepard landed softly, but as soon as she did so, the biotics cut out. Crying out, she lost her balance and fell off the edge of the roadway. Grabbing wildly, she managed to take a hold of a ledge. She tried to pull herself up, but every movement made her gloves slip on the smooth concrete. The explosions vibrated through the air, shaking the skyway as the titan went down in flames. At least that was over and done with, she thought as she tried to figure out a way to get up.

The Commander's fingers began aching. A quick glance down, and she knew the fall would be fatal. There was nothing below her but fog, and that was hundreds of metres away anyway.

A hand grabbed her wrist, and began to pull her up.

It was Vakarian. With the turian's help, she managed to get up and scramble away from the edge. After taking in a deep gasp of air, she sat down. Kaidan was laying down, and Ashley was kneeling beside him, making sure he was alright. That last trick had finally overtaxed the lieutenant's biotics. Shepard smiled to herself. Chakwas was going to kill her, but they had made it.

Shepard turned to Garrus, and took off her helmet, shaking her hair loose.

"Thanks for the hand," she said, "Thought I was going to fall."

"Not a problem, Commander," he said, "Now, shall we go see what all this was about?"

Garrus pointed to the road to Exogeni, now entirely free of anything to stop them. She looked back at her fellow humans, and found that Kaidan was getting up again. He nodded to her, as Ashley helped him along.

"Let's move out," said Shepard, fitting her helmet back onto her head. The four started walking towards the imposing skyscraper, still having no idea what they would find inside.


	20. Chapter 16: Revelation

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD:  
_

_This story finally made it to 200 favourites! Which is amazing. Thank you to all who have read this story! _

_To celebrate, I'm releasing a chapter of this as well as one from Secret History of the First Contact War and Wars of the Systems Alliance together, all on Shepard's birthday! Another 2183 chapter should go up later today as well.  
_

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 16: Revelation**

Shepard swept her shotgun to the left and right as she finally entered the Exogeni spire with her team, expecting to find geth swarming all over the walls and ceilings. She found nothing, and the pounding in her head began to quiet. She stepped into the room a little further, lowering her weapon to her hip but keeping it ready nonetheless.

The reception area must have been clean and tidy before. The grey concrete of the Prothean structures had been overlaid with white paint in some places, blue tile in others. The Exogeni logo adorned many of the visible surfaces, and the vaulted roof would have stretched elegantly overhead. Potted plants sat in corners, and a fountain spat water onto a stylised metal tree. Battle damage had scarred all of this, however. Tables and chairs were flipped over and scattered around the place. Large chunks of the ceiling had caved in and dropped to the floor, littering it with obstacles and more of the damned grey dust. There were no bodies, but impact holes from mass-accelerators pock-marked anything worthy of being called cover.

There had been a fierce firefight. Shepard found her respect for Exogeni's security team rising. The group they had saved was not small, and yet the geth hadn't been able to kill a single one of them. Or perhaps the geth intended it that way.

"This is Verdun, we're entering the Exogeni building through the front door," Shepard reported over the comms, "Anyone else here yet?"

"Shepard, we're entering through a secondary walkway," Wrex reported, "See you in there."

"The enemy frigate that pursued us is destroyed, we're returning to orbit to investigate the debris field, Commander," Pressly added, "We'll see you at Zhu's Hope once you're finished, ma'am."

She breathed a sigh of relief. The fighting hadn't stopped the rest of her crew from making it through, and it must have gone their way if they had made it over so quickly.

"Copy."

Shepard gripped her weapon again and paced through the overturned desks. She looked for a way to the labs, checking her omnitool for the map of the building. She soon found it, a corridor that looked like it connected to the primary staircase. One that would hopefully lead to answers.

Garrus took the lead, with Shepard and Kaidan in the middle and Ashley bringing up the rear.

"It's pretty quiet down here," Garrus mused after a minute or so, "I don't think there are any geth left."

The Commander hoped he was right. She had seen enough of the synthetics to last a lifetime, but they were nothing if not persistent.

"Keep sharp, if they were using this place as a base for their ship, then there has to be something guarding it," said Shepard as she helped Kaidan along, "Just hope that they're overconfident. Maybe they have left some intelligence for us."

The staircase was nearby now, and the group closed together, advancing shoulder to shoulder, ready to unload on anything hostile that appeared.

So, when a woman stepped out of the shadows in front of them, her eyes nearly popped out of her head at the sight of all four aiming weapons at her. Shepard thought the effect slightly comic, as the woman fell backwards, dropping a pistol.

"Don't shoot!" she begged, crawling backwards, "I'm not geth!"

Shepard frowned at the obvious statement, and looked the newcomer over. She was wearing Exogeni laboratory, which was dirty at the knees and along the upper arms to the elbows. In the Commander's head, something clicked. She lowered her weapon, and signalled the others to do the same. The woman was strangely familiar.

"Lizbeth Baynham?" asked Shepard.

The woman flinched, but looked relieved at the lack of firearms pointing in her face.

"Y-yes, have we met?" Lizbeth said, getting to her feet. She looked relieved.

"I'm Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy," Shepard replied, "Your mother asked that I look out for you."

"My mother is alive?" Lizbeth continued, "Oh, thank God!"

"Alive, and surrounded by heavily armed security," scoffed Ashley, "Safer than hanging around here, now that we've blown up the titan."

"She's back at the weigh-station, though it's not safe to go back there right now," Shepard continued, feeling good that she had found the daughter before it was too late, "Can you help me? What do the geth want here?"

Lizbeth clasped her hands together and looked at the ground, glancing to avoid eye contact. Shepard's mood soured. Whatever was going to be said next was going to be a lie.

"I have no idea, they just showed up and started shooting," said the scientist.

"You're lying to me now," Shepard said, pouring menace into her voice, "You stuck around for some reason, why?"

"I was backing up data, important information that the company needs," Lizbeth said, "I can't tell you more than that, or I'll lose my job and they'll make sure I won't get another!"

Shepard eyed the woman for a moment, and then decided that it was the truth. The scientist didn't strike her as the corporate shill type. Even if she was mistaken, there would be plenty of time later to get the real story. There was no way Baynham could have made it past the geth to wipe files. The Commander glanced up the stairway, wanting to get moving on.

"You hide down here, I'll contact you when it's safe," Shepard said, bringing up her omni and scanning the scientist's own, "Don't even think about running. If the geth don't get you, I will."

She then nodded to her teammates, and they began up the stairs.

"Wait!" Lizbeth shouted, holding out a keycard, "Take this, it'll let you use the computers upstairs. They'll have the answers you want, and I can't get into trouble if you find out from them."

Shepard stepped back down and took the peace offering for what it was, before setting off again up the stairs. Every minute she was out of the loop made her more uneasy. She picked up her pace, taking point from Garrus.

* * *

"Damn it, tell me what I want to know or I'll blast your virtual ass into actual dust!"

The krogan yelled and groaned, as the VI hologram simply looked on politely. Shepard had not been surprised at the sight when they had finally made it to the information storage level. The geth on Therum seemed to follow a krogan commander, and they backed up the assault on Zhu's Hope when the krogan assault team were coming in via the basement levels. Why he was there, like all the others, was a question for later.

She crept forwards, hidden from sight by her tactical cloak. The krogan slammed his fists on a desk down the long corridor in front of her, splitting it down the middle and sending data-tablets flying. He was larger than the other krogan she had seen before, though he still paled in comparison to Wrex. That was less of a concern than his armour, however. It seemed to be made of thick black slabs of high density metal, of the sort that would resist most gunfire for a decent amount of time.

The Commander paused when she realised this, and took up a position just within effective range for her shotgun. Garrus, Ashley and Kaidan were still at the bottom of the corridor, waiting on her word. She couldn't say anything now without being heard, and they wouldn't be able to intervene before the krogan got his hands on her. Retreat wasn't an option either, so she did what she had to.

Shepard flicked the fire-selector to automatic, and depressed the trigger. The shots sprayed out, as she controlled the recoil as best she could. The thumping sound echoed off the concrete deafeningly, as each burst peppered the krogan's back. He fell over in surprise, groaning. After eight shots, the gun clicked empty and the noise stopped. For a moment, the only sound was the hissing of the heat dispersion system.

Shepard's cloak deactivated, and the krogan began getting up again. The back of his armour was a mess, but seemed intact. Blood leaked out of some of the holes. To her horror, she had completely failed to do any damage to the massive alien. The bastard knew it too, as he turned to look at her from one side. The predatory eye gleamed with the pleasure he was taking in her failure.

"Good, I really need someone to kill," he shouted down the hall, before charging directly at her.

She began reloading, cursing in her head that she had abandoned her RAM-rifle to board the titan. The used clip popped out of the side of her weapon. The sound of the others rushing to help echoed behind, but it was going to be too late. She wouldn't get another clip into the weapon in time, and her friends wouldn't be able to get a clear shot either. It was game over.

The familiar giddy madness of battle took hold of Shepard, adrenelin kicking in.

She tossed her shotgun, activated her omniblade, and charged. It was her only shot at stopping the alien, and she was determined to make it. The krogan didn't even blink as the human female charged him, and roared as the distance closed. Her nerves frayed but she held to her course, every step bringing the enemy closer. She raised her arm, the point of the blade at head height, ready to plunge straight into the enemy's skull.

A half-second before impact, the krogan's head exploded forwards. Shepard was showered with blood and brain matter, as the body continued by momentum and collided with her. She was hit hard, and thrown to the ground underneath the falling corpse. For a moment, she was pinned, both by the weight of the dead and confusion as to what had just happened. Snapping out of it, she heaved herself out from under the mess and was filled with the euphoria of still being alive. She stood up, spitting out the krogan blood that had found its way into her mouth, and searched for the responsible party.

Beside the VI interface, Liara held Shepard's rifle at shoulder height, aiming it as well as anyone could. She looked a little shocked at what she had done, her eyes flickering between the dead krogan and the weapon repeatedly.

Shepard could have kissed the asari. She strode over and took the weapon from the archaeologist with a grin on her face. Liara handed it over gladly. The others arrived a few seconds later.

"Good shot, T'soni!" shouted Ashley, as Garrus and Kaidan stopped to admire the corpse.

"Thank you," Shepard added.

"But I almost hit you," Liara said, still unsure of herself, "I could have killed you!"

Shepard just shrugged and slung the rifle onto her back. One didn't turn down the luck that the gods of war throw one's way.

"But you saved me instead," Shepard replied, as she picked up her shotgun again and reloaded it at last.

"You're developing a habit of saving Shepard's skin from raging krogan," Kaidan joked.

Liara seemed embarrassed, rubbing her hands together, but said nothing. Shepard looked around for a moment. There was no sign of the other two crewmates.

"Where are Tali and Wrex?" she asked.

"Tali got very excited when we found a set of geth terminals, and decided to dig through the information on them. Wrex insisted on staying with her when I decided to come look for you. For her protection, according to his own words."

Shepard smirked. She didn't know what she found more amusing, the implication that Wrex didn't believe that Liara required protection or that he thought Tali did against geth. Maybe he was hoping that more geth would show up if he stayed with the person hacking their system, she wondered for a second.

"She's probably looking for useful information for the Migrant Fleet, Commander," Garrus added, "Best leave her to it."

"Let's see what the computer has to say," Kaidan added, motioning with his head.

They all turned to the hologram again, which had continued its silent watch through the firefight. It was in the form of a human male, unsurprising considering Exogeni was an Earth-based corporation. Shepard approached it, waiting for it to respond.

"Good afternoon, Research Assistant Baynham. I must remind you that the discharging of weapons on Exogeni property is strictly forbidden by both company policy and USCA law."

Shepard smirked again. She very much doubted that the krogan or geth cared.

"It thinks you're Baynham?" asked Liara, "The researcher from the weigh-station?"

"Her daughter," Shepard corrected, "We ran into her downstairs, and she gave me a keycard to access the company files."

"Yeah, after admitting that she knew what was going on and refusing to spill it," Ashley said.

"At least she's alive," sighed Liara, "Her mother will be relieved."

"For now," Ashley muttered.

Shepard turned back to the VI. It was time for answers. The krogan was trying to get something out of the databanks, which was a good a place to start as any.

"What was the krogan trying to access?"

"The previous user was attempting to access information on Subject Species 37," the VI intoned, "Also known as the Thorian."

Shepard frowned. Why would Saren want information about some animal?

"Tell me everything you told the krogan," she said.

"The previous user had no security exemption status, and so I was unable to provide them with any relevant data. No new data for Species 37 has been logged. All sensors in the Zhu's Hope colony and in secondary colonial settlements have been down for several cycles."

"Zhu's Hope? What does the colony have to do with Species 37?"

"Species 37 is located in the substructure of the Zhu's Hope spire."

Shepard's confusion grew. They had been to the basement areas of the spire and found nothing but krogan, geth and varren. No sign of any exotic animals. The thought occurred to her that this was why they had found the enemy down there in the first place. The Thorian must be what Saren wanted.

"What is the Thorian?" Shepard asked, "Why is it of interest to Exogeni?"

"The Thorian is a plant life-form exhibiting high degrees of sentience uncommon to other flora. Through dispersion and inhalation of spores, it is capable of infecting and controlling animals and other sentients, including humans and salarians according to test data collected to this date. The Zhu's Hope control group has yielded interesting results. Before sensors went offline, eighty four point five percent of the population was infected. Unfortunately, image data of the Thorian's tendrils were destroyed when an unauthorised access attempt was made on the primary server."

Shepard felt a lump in her throat as a terrible possibility elbowed its way to the front of her mind. She was almost afraid to ask the next question, as the consequences would be severe if the answer was what she thought it might be.

"Are you saying Exogeni knew people were being infected?"

"The colonial settlements on Feros were funded by Exogeni for the express purpose of assessing the true potential of Species 37, it was deemed necessary that a large test group was required for this objective."

Shepard clenched her fist as it hung at her side. She had been right. The people of Zhu's Hope were guinea pigs for a sick experiment.

"Well, that explains why the colonists were acting weird," Ashley said, hand on hip.

"What it doesn't explain is why Saren wants the Thorian," said Kaidan, "Why bother with a plant that can control people if you have an army of synthetics and krogan at your command?"

"Saren has always hated humanity, it doesn't really make sense that he'd be interested in controlling you," Garrus mused, "He wants you dead. This doesn't fit."

"You should warn the Normandy, Shepard," said Liara.

When the Commander activated her comms, her ears were hit by static. They were being jammed again. Cursing, she realised that the Thorian must have forced the colonists to repair and reactivate the jamming device. The Normandy was most likely either trapped or overrun by the thralls of the thing, if it had already returned to dock. She hoped Pressly's curiosity about the orbiting wreckage held long enough for him to stay away.

"Well, that's not good," said Ashley, checking her omnitool to make absolutely sure it wasn't a problem on their end. Shepard grimaced, the Gunnery-Chief wasn't wrong.

"Can you deactivate the Exogeni jamming device?" she asked the VI.

"Security measures may only be deactivated by order of the Head of Operations, Ethan Jeong. However, you may access the communication scrambler codes via the human resources division, located in Section Two of this facility."

"That's where Tali and Wrex are," Liara said, "It makes sense that the geth would have tapped into personnel files so they could use the existing technology."

"We should get down there," Kaidan said, "Find out if Tali has found anything, and warn the Normandy. Maybe they can come pick us up."

Shepard stood her ground, and said nothing. She just stared at the VI for a moment. Heads would roll for what she had discovered, and she wanted to make sure of it personally. Experiments on people were what she expected from the likes of batarians or geth, not her own. Those responsible needed to be punished, but she needed to know just which heads to collect.

"We're not done here yet," she said, "Access my personal files."

"Elizabeth Baynham, Research Assistant, Bio-Medical Division, Security Level 4 exemption. You are currently under probation due to disagreements with management over established company policies. These sanctions may be lifted if your next evaluation is more agreeable."

Shepard's eyebrow raised itself. It looked like Lizbeth wasn't complicit after all.

"Why was I placed under probation?"

"You were marked as combative about the Feros Colony project, particularly regarding the infection and treatment of colonists without their knowledge. You were tasked with monitoring the health and safety of the colonists for the duration of the experiment soon afterwards."

"Lizbeth isn't one of those to blame for all of this," Shepard said at last, "I guess we'll have to talk to Jeong when we get back."

"And beat his ass," added Ashley. Shepard agreed, but kept the sentiment to herself. Either way, Jeong was going to have to pay for his treachery and deception. She wasn't sure whether to shoot the man on the spot, or hand him over to Haider for a little recreational interrogation, followed by a lengthy prison sentence. Deciding she would figure it out later, she turned to her crewmates again.

"Liara, lead the way to Tali," said Shepard, "Hopefully, she has something else we can use. We'll download the rest of the data from there."

The young asari nodded, and Shepard fell in beside her as they made their way through the building, passing by the very dead krogan.

* * *

The glowing orb floated in the middle of a set of metal pillars, shining extremely bright light around the room. Two dead geth lay beside it, the evidence of Wrex's shotgun all over their broken bodies. Their weapons lay neatly beside them, clearly unused. The synthetics had been caught unaware. Shepard narrowed her eyes and tried to shield herself from the beams. The structure seemed to serve no real purpose, as far as she could tell.

"What is that?" asked Ashley.

"It appears to be a shrine of some kind, perhaps made by the geth to represent the Reapers," Liara explained, "The geth may be far more spiritual than we previously thought."

Ashley chuckled for a moment.

"If they want to meet God, I'll send them eight hundred and fifty at a time," she said, patting the side of her weapon.

"Assuming they don't shoot back and send you to meet him instead," Kaidan replied, witty as ever.

"The dozens that have tried so far haven't been so successful," the gunnery-chief said flatly.

Liara simply rolled her eyes at the exchange. Shepard nudged her with an elbow and grinned.

"We can discuss the cultural implications of geth lightbulbs and Williams' marksmanship later," Shepard said, "Let's keep moving."

"Tali is in the next room," said Liara, before tapping the door control.

The space that opened up was a large rectangular one, flanked on one side by large shattered windows, and a raised walkway at the other. At every twenty paces or so, a geth terminal sat humming with power, haptic interfaces activated. Large metal strands connected them, snaking their way down the length and across the spaces of the hall. At the very back, Tali was tapping furiously on the last terminal while a bored looking Wrex sat beside her, his shotgun cradled in his arms.

"Commander, you won't believe what I've found!" Tali shouted, almost screaming with excitement, "Come, look!"

"She's been bouncing for fifteen minutes and it's annoying," Wrex said, "The writing is all in some quarian gibberish, so I can't understand it. Hurry up and tell me."

Shepard and the others jogged the length of the hall, and crowded around the terminal. Wrex was right, the information was written in keelish and refused to translate. Tali tapped the interface again, and a starmap appeared on-screen. The young quarian turned to Shepard.

"Do you know what that is?" she asked.

"Eh, no?" Shepard replied. The other humans shook their heads too, a motion that Tali cocked her head at for a moment.

"That is the the Armstrong Nebula," Tali said, "According to the data in these terminals, it is the geth staging ground for the invasion. And if the geth are there..."

"Then Saren and my mother will be there too," Liara said, before anyone else could speak.

Shepard put her hand on Tali's shoulder, and watched the information on the screen scroll by. Finally, they had a lead on the rogue Spectre worth taking to the Council and Alliance High Command. A lead that made the whole trip worth the effort.

"Good job, Tali."

Wrex grunted as he stood up and stretched, startling everyone else, including Shepard. The krogan brought himself to his full, huge height, and toothy grin spread across his face. He slammed his two claws together enthusiastically.

"Great, that turian's head is mine," Wrex growled happily, "Let's get off this rock and find him."

Shepard and the others looked between each other for a moment. None of them knew what to say, how to explain what was actually going on at Zhu's Hope, because no one knew how they were going to deal with it yet. Shepard felt a knot in her throat again just thinking about what had to come next.

"I'm afraid there is something we have to do before we can leave," said Shepard at last, drawing curious looks from both Wrex and Tali. She began to explain what they had found out from the VI at length, and hoped she could come up with some way of dealing with it before she was forced to take other measures.

When the explanation was done, Tali was outraged. She didn't understand how Exogeni could get away with it for so long. On the other hand, Wrex was nonchalant about the details, but offered to disembowel Jeong. The Commander knew she had to bring the situation to a close as quickly as possible.

Once she had received the jamming scrambler codes from the personnel files, Shepard contacted the Normandy. Luckily, they had not returned to Zhu's Hope yet. She ordered them to pick them up.

* * *

"The colonists are what?!" asked Pressly, alarmed, "Are we infected too?"

The executive officer could hardly believe his ears, evidently. Shepard had explained everything she had discovered on the CIC, and he had taken everything except that detail in his stride. She thought about his question for a moment. None of her crew had been acting strangely, and they certainly hadn't done anything to suggest they were working for a hostile organism.

"Not sure," Shepard stated, "Have someone check the data we have, but no one has been acting weird. It could take extended exposure beyond what we have faced."

Pressly did not look one bit relieved by her reassurance, his face twitching with more doubt every passing second. He collected himself quickly, and returned to a professional posture.

"Your orders, ma'am?" he said, finally.

"Take us to Cassone, I need to talk with him and prepare our response," said Shepard, "Then you'll get into orbit again, and send off this message to Anderson along with all the information we have so far. We might need help with whatever this Thorian turns out to be."

She held out the tablet, and Pressly took it from her, before saluting and walking away. Shepard knew Anderson would see that the proper people saw it, and acted on it quickly. She had considered giving it directly to the DID, but she dismissed the notion as soon as she realised she would be in debt to _that_ person. Anderson would gather the necessary people and resources to handle the aftermath of what was to come.

She returned to the elevator to the cargobay where her squad was still waiting, and readied herself. A reckoning was coming.

* * *

The Normandy's ramp descended and Shepard stepped off onto the top of the weigh-station's roof, her squad in tow along with Lizbeth Baynham. Cassone was waiting, his armour damaged and dusty but with a big smile on his face. The Commander couldn't help but return it. If he was in that good a mood, the geth must have been comprehensively defeated with few casualties. The Major knew his trade, at least.

"Commander, we watched that flying fortress burn and crash, and loved every second of it," he declared, holding out his hand for her to shake. Shepard took it and received a vigorous arm shaking for her trouble. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you," he added softly.

"No need Major, the men and women who helped us get up there deserve most of the credit," said Shepard, "But our work isn't done here, we've all been deceived."

"What do you mean?" asked Cassone. His mood soured instantly. Perhaps he had been looking forward to some downtime before they had to ship out to some other sector of the war. Shepard felt like sin itself for dampening his spirits, even if he was an ass. What was going to happen next would feel worse, particularly after saving the civilians once before.

"We need to get down to the corporate staff," Shepard said, waving the Normandy off, "I'll explain on the way."

The Major walked beside her through the ranks of soldiers, down through the building. Shepard outlined in brief what had happened in the Exogeni spire. She started with the good news. They had found where the geth were hiding, maybe even where Saren was hiding. He was overjoyed at that, talking about how it might be a very quick war after all. She moved on. Talked about the Thorian, how it was controlling the minds of the colonists for its own ends. How Exogeni had founded the colony so they could have test subjects for experiments. How badly Saren wanted the data and specimens of the creature, and how important it was that he not get his way.

By the time they reached the level where the civilians were, Major Cassone was ready to assemble a firing squad for Mr Jeong.

"Leave it to me," Shepard ordered, as they entered the room. She had no idea what she was going to do about Jeong. She had figured out the next step for dealing with Zhu's Hope, but not this. She felt herself compromised by the sheer evil of the man, and she was also the only authority on the planet to deal with him. The Major hung back, watching.

Jeong was huddled with Juliana Baynham and a number of others, when Lizbeth ran up and hugged her mother, breaking up the congregation of scientists. The Alliance soldiers around turned to look, trying to see what the commotion was. Shepard was pleased to see Vega's squad was still intact, after the trouble they had went to back in the lower levels of the colony. She nodded to him as she passed. He saluted back, appreciating the gesture.

Juliana and Lizbeth approached Shepard and her crew, the former nearly in tears.

"...Thank you, Commander," she said, "I don't know how I can ever repay you."

Shepard was unsure whether or not Juliana was involved in Exogeni's plot, but she decided to give the woman a pass on account of her daughter's aid. Without it, they would have been in the dark about the Thorian. She smiled a little back at the grateful mother.

"You owe me nothing, your daughter helped me," said Shepard.

"Yeah, we got all the juicy details," Ashley added from behind.

"She did what?!" asked Jeong, cutting in front of the two, "She better not have divulged any company secrets."

The man looked at Shepard and the others, but quickly realised that they were all staring at him with hate. The Commander took a step forward, making her decision at last, when he pulled out a pistol. Everyone flinched, and soldiers drew their weapons.

"D-don't come any closer!" he said, "Guards, detain these people!" Shepard felt uncontrollable wrath rise up in her. The man had just committed suicide. She stared the man down, stepping forward again. His pistol drew a line on her, and didn't move. She was glad that it did. Tt meant no one else but her was in danger, and she knew he would hesitate to fire. In the corner of her eye, she saw Ashley move to the side. She decided to stall with some brinkmanship.

"You're a liar and a war criminal," Shepard growled, "Drop that weapon or I'll end you." The Commander meant every word.

Jeong went into hysterics, breathing heavily as his hands shook the pistol violently.

"I don't answer to you!" he said, "I found some interesting facts about you in the Exogeni database. I know what happened on Torfan! This doesn't have to end like that!"

"You have no idea what happened on Torfan," said Shepard, pointing at the man, "You've made your choice."

"I got communications back up, Exogeni knows all about the situation and wants the place purged!" said Jeong, "It's theirs, and you can't stop them!"

"This is a human colony, you son of a bitch!" Shepard shouted, "Exogeni isn't going to be able to do anything once what I know gets to the brass. The only one getting purged here is you."

"You have no idea how valuable this place is! They'll do anything to protect their interests here, including stepping over all of our corpses if they need to!"

"We know all about the Thorian," said Shepard, "We know exactly how valuable it is, and how little you care about the lives of the colonists." Some of the other scientists bristled in shock at the statement. Juliana just looked confused.

"The what?" she asked.

"It's a telepathic lifeform living under the colony, you've been studying its spores," Lizbeth explained, "It's taking control of the colonists, Exogeni knew all along."

Juliana turned to Jeong with a look for disgust on her face.

"You won't get away with this," she said, her voice filled with her contempt for the man.

"So you keep saying, but no one is going to miss a few..."

Ashley sprung into action. She stomped forward and grabbed the man's pistol out of his hand. Kaidan followed up, hitting the man with a biotic bolt. Jeong flew backwards, landing hard on the ground. Vega's squad quickly aimed their weapons at the corporate security team as they moved to help, while Garrus and Wrex pounded forwards to cover the criminal.

"Nice work, Chief," Garrus said, "That was impressive."

"Alenko helped," replied Ashley, nodding to her teammate.

"What now?" asked Wrex, turning to Shepard, "You gonna take my offer or what?"

The Commander moved forwards, eyes trained on Jeong. She considered it. Letting Wrex handle the situation would be satisfying, but questions would be asked. He wasn't the Spectre, she was. A krogan mercenary executing a human would probably create political problems, and she wanted as little contact with politicians as possible. She looked at the man in question, and made a decision.

"No, I'll do it myself," she said finally.

Shepard unslung her anti-materiel rifle, and the soldiers collectively gasped in horror. It was a heavy anti-armour weapon. Overkill didn't begin to describe the effects it would have on an unprotected human. Which was the point. She opened the breach, and the previous heatsink popped out, spinning away to the floor. It still hadn't been reloaded from when T'soni had taken out the last krogan.

"You mention Torfan, but do you know how many batarians I've killed?" Shepard said, as she fetched the reload from her belt, "Too many to count. They enslaved our people. You're worse. At least the batarians did what they did because they believed in it. You treated people like lab rats, and you did it for the god damn percentage."

"You can't do this!" Jeong responded, "You won't get away with it!"

Shepard slipped the round into the chamber and snapped the rifle closed. It hummed to life, ready to fire.

"I'm the first human Spectre, watch me."

Shepard levelled the weapon, as Jeong scrambled up against the wall behind him. There was no escape. The scope zoomed out automatically, the reticle appearing in the middle for a close range target. She inched the rifle to the left, placing the sights on the man's chest. He was sweating profusely now, gripping the wall, as if he was trying to pull it over him like a blanket. She moved her finger from the trigger guard, and leaned in to fire, anticipating the recoil. The righteousness filled her blood. She knew what she was doing was absolutely right. What this man had done deserved the ultimate punishment.

Someone grabbed her hand lightly, moving her finger off the trigger.

Shepard moved her eyes off the sights, and found Liara standing beside her. The asari's eyes locked with hers. They pleaded with her to stop. She watched the purple-blue irises shake, moving between her own. She sighed in frustration, and gave in, unable to defy their owner. The archaeologist sensed her change. Liara moved her hand off of Shepard's hand and onto her arm.

The Commander swung the rifle a little to the right, and pulled the trigger. The rifle hummed louder, and discharged. The slug blasted a foot-wide hole in the concrete behind, spraying Jeong with dust and rock particles. He slumped to the floor, exhausted but alive. Shepard looked at him, disgusted that he was still breathing.

"Bah, what an anti-climax!" said Wrex, waving his arm dismissively. Shepard couldn't help but agree. Liara tightened the grip on the Commander's arm a little.

"Thank you," she said quietly, inclining her head so no one else could hear.

"You're more brave than you seem, Dr. T'soni," replied Shepard softly, her rage fading away. She turned back to the crowd, slinging the rifle again. All eyes were on her, anticipating her next move. She needed to act quickly.

"Major, have your men detain this man until he can be transferred to the custody of the Defence Intelligence Directorate," Shepard ordered.

Squad Leader Vega stepped forward.

"It would be our pleasure, ma'am," he said, as the others in his squad moved to Jeong. The man was resigned now, and went into cuffs without another word. The soldiers took him away, and the crowd dispersed, the show ended. Shepard was glad that it was over, either way.

Cassone made his way through the moving people, his face neutral.

"Well, now that that is finished, what are we going to do about the Thorian?" he asked. Shepard already knew, but Lizbeth spoke first.

"The colonists won't let you near the Thorian, they'll kill to defend it and would rather die than see it harmed," she said, "They're entirely under its control."

"Then we have no choice, we'll have to fight our way through," Shepard stated, "We'll wait until night. We'll have the advantage and can minimise casualties."

A wave of consternation swept through the faces of the group. Even Wrex seemed displeased about the idea. Shepard didn't blame them. The geth had tried to do the exact same thing and were badly bloodied. Sure, the colonists didn't have military equipment or advanced weapons, but they could still cause serious losses in the winding passageways and corridors of the spire. The fact they were all enthralled to some alien plant merely added to the miserable circumstances.

"There might be another way," Juliana said, "The spores I was working on, they reacted to a particular nerve gas, and given that the creature hijacks the nervous system, the colonists might be weak enough that they'd be knocked out by it."

Shepard mused the possibility. It was a lot more promising than storming the garage.

"Great, we can get the Normandy to dump a whole canister into the spire," said Tali, pleased that they wouldn't have to kill any innocents after all, "Then we can just walk in and take care of this Thorian thing."

"That would certainly be preferable to shooting people," Liara agreed.

The elder Baynham shook her head. Tali began fidgeting, and Shepard knew that she had guessed the next part as well.

"There isn't nearly enough gas to do something like that, now that I think about it," Juliana said.

"Can you manufacture more before tonight?" Shepard asked, not wanting to let the chance slip away.

"No, the geth took an interest in all our equipment," Juliana replied, "I think they took it all to the titan."

"Which I blew up," said Shepard, as she rubbed her face. Fatigue was setting in now, and the now-wrecked hope she had that this wouldn't be another bloodbath added to the problem.

"How much of the stuff _do_ you have?" Kaidan asked.

"Enough for some grenades," said Lizbeth, "Could be useful."

Shepard nodded. Any advantage was worth the effort. There was no small number of kids and teenagers in the colony. Stepping over their bodies wasn't a memory she intended to add to her collection of nightmares.

"Everyone get some sleep, we'll get back together at twenty two hundred hours local and push forward," she said, "Maybe someone will have a bright idea between then and now that'll make this easier."


	21. Chapter 17: The Old Growth

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: _

_Sorry again for the delay, this chapter was very difficult to write as I wasn't quite sure how to deal with the end of this part of the story. Anyway, with this, our Feros arc comes to a conclusion, and with the next two chapters, the first act of the story comes to a close. Cheers again to you, my readers._

_If you're reading this, please review. Even if you hate it with a passion._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 17: The Old Growth**

Shepard approached the steel plate and ran her hand over its surface. It was a rough but sturdy piece, solid enough to withstand fairly substantial detonations. Cassone's men had done a good job in sealing up the underground of Zhu's Hope after the krogan were discovered. She gave it a heavy push to test it. It didn't move as she expected. She yawned uncontrollably for a moment, and she covered her mouth with her palm before turning back to her crewmates and the soldiers. No problems so far, now it was a matter of waiting.

The infiltration group sat in the darkness of the skyway underpassage in front of Shepard, the glow of lights and omnitools piercing the veil of black that enveloped them. They had parked themselves on a pipe that ran the length of the space, checking weapons or waiting quietly. One was clearly checking out the other. That was one way to keep morale high Shepard supposed, as the watcher received a slap on the head from the subject of his gawking.

The Commander had selected Vega's Delta Squad to support her for this part of the attack. They had performed admirably under fire against the krogan and they were familiar with the terrain they were about fight on. The injuries they had sustained had been minor, and they had been assigned to the rear until now. They were eager to fight again. Shepard had been quietly impressed by Vega's actions under fire, and the continued thirst for the fight from his squad merely confirmed her evaluation of the soldier. He had made sure his subordinates made it to safety, and would have died for that decision if she had not arrived in time to save the day. She saw more than a little of herself in that.

Shepard walked past the soldiers to her own crew.

Wrex was leaning against the wall, scratching his headplate with one hand and holding his shotgun with the other. His eyes were fixed on the metal barrier ahead, not even acknowledging her as she passed. Impatient for the fight, she figured. Behind him, Garrus and Ashley sat. They seemed to be coaxing metallic noise from their weapons and calibrating their sights. Unsure if it was a sign of nervousness or zeal, she simply passed them by to leave them to it. Every soldier had their own ritual before a fight, interrupting it was a bad idea.

Behind the two sharpshooters, Kaidan and Tali were busy on their omnitools.

"Commander, we've almost figured out an improvement to the stun programme," the lieutenant said when he saw her approach. Tali had come up with the idea of modifying the overload function of omnitools to stun the colonists, but it had very limited range and no one was sure if it would actually work. Shepard had the programme distributed to every soldier in the company. Better to try.

"That's good news," she replied, looking in on the power chart glowing off of Tali's arm.

"I hope it helps," the quarian said, worriedly.

"It will, I'm sure of it," said Shepard confidently. Tali seemed to take that well, and resumed her tweaks.

Shepard smiled, and came to the last member of the crew. Liara sat on top of the pipe, her legs crossed, watching a schematic of the Zhu's Hope spire. The Commander sat down beside her.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Ready to kill or maim our way through innocents in order to destroy an ancient sentient being, in order to prevent it from falling into the hands of a rogue Spectre? No, I cannot say that I am, but we do not have a choice, do we?"

The asari turned off the omnitool, brought her knees up and put her head on them, looking at Shepard. This made her feel uncomfortable. She still did not know what exactly had stopped her executing Jeong, and the present was not the time for thinking about it.

"Is it always this hard?" Liara asked.

"Is what?"

"Saving people," the asari continued, "I read about you on the way here, is it always... bloody?"

Shepard considered the question. Her military experience was entirely filled with killing evil people in order to prevent harm. It wasn't her job to "save" people at all, technically. She grimaced as she remembered some of the worst things she had done, before putting the memories away. She didn't want to think about them anymore, even as she used the lessons they had taught her.

"There are a lot of ways to save people," said Shepard finally, "But yes, sometimes it does end in violence."

"Shepard, I..." Liara started.

The comms hissed three times, interrupting the conversation. It was the signal to begin. Shepard stood up, and locked eyes with Liara again.

"Afterwards," she said quietly, unslinging her shotgun.

The asari nodded, and stood up herself. The Commander was relieved that it was time to fight. She was not in the right mind for talk.

"Alright, everything off!" Shepard ordered loudly, "We do this, and then we go get Saren!"

A noisy acknowledgement was followed by the glow of lights and omnitools flickering off, as their users killed the power. The power generators were at the top of the spire and Shepard's team was near the bottom of the liveable sections, but the Commander was taking no chances. The others turned off their comms as well, just in case.

"Commencing EMP strike," Pressly said, right on schedule. Shepard reminded herself to thank the man for his diligence.

"You guys better be ready!" Joker added finally.

Shepard walked back the way she had come. Wrex followed, shotgun resting over his shoulder. He would be the first in, for the obvious reason. They reached the front of the pack as the structure shook slightly but repeatedly. Shepard grinned a little, but realised no one could see it in the pitch black. She turned her light back on, and found the squad leader standing right beside her.

"Okay Vega, your turn," she said, holding her arm out towards the metal plate, "Everyone else, get ready." Delta Squad's engineer handed him a plasma-cutter with a built-in weld-shield. Ashley and Garrus moved to the front to join Wrex and the other assault soldier in Vega's squad, Kamille. Vega fiddled with the valves on the side of the tool, and then turned to the others.

"You might wanna close your eyes, this will be bright," he said. Shepard complied, closing her eyes and turning away as the soldier fired up the cutter. She listened as the fizzing sound of metal melting washed through the underpassage. The noise of Vega cutting his way through was joined seconds later by the sound of Cassone's troops opening fire. They had been ordered to open fire if fired upon as they advanced towards the garage doors, but only to suppress the colonists. She hoped they weren't getting torn to pieces above.

The sound of the cutting stopped, and Vega tapped Shepard on the shoulder to indicate that the job was done. She opened her eyes, as the squad leader recovered his rifle and aimed it at the cut section.

"Switch to IRNV-heatsync," said Shepard, as she turned off her torch and activated her helmet's overlay system. The world turned grey-green, but she could see clearly in all directions despite the dark. She watched the others don their own headgear and switch off the white beams that had flowed from the ends of their weapons. The Commander's helmet VI painted light boxes around them, indicating that they were alive according to their body temperatures. Satisfied that the colonists wouldn't see them coming, she gave Wrex a tap on the back. The krogan loomed over her, his full-face helmet covering his expressions.

"Do the honours," said Shepard, nodding at the steel.

Wrex's head turned forwards, and his biotics flared. The steel section floated backwards and set itself down softly on the ground with a quiet thud. Shepard felt an eyebrow rise. She hadn't expected the krogan to be so subtle about it, but he stepped through the hole anyway, closely followed by Vega.

Shepard stood aside as the rest of the assault section went through in pairs. Kamille and Garrus were soon followed by Ashley and the sniper from Vega's squad. The Commander escorted Tali through, while the rest took up the rear.

"Clear" said Vega, half-whispering.

"Nothing here either," Wrex said.

The soldiers spread out, covering all possible firing points as they moved into the large intersection of corridors. Shepard was struck by a sense of deja vu. The layout was very similar to the area where Delta Squad had found itself pinned down the day before. She observed her surroundings for a moment more as the rest of the team entered the spire, taking mental note of the floor-plan as best she could. Just in case. When she was satisfied, she turned to Liara.

"Which way to the garage?" she asked quietly.

"That way, and then we go up one floor," the asari said, pointing to a corridor littered with rubble. Shepard signalled, and the assault section filed forwards with Wrex at the head. The Commander stayed with the support section, and walked just ahead of the rearguard. Kaidan and the Delta Squad biotic called Essex, the one who had been checking out his squad-mate, were last. They advanced wordlessly towards their objective. There was still no sign of the colonists.

* * *

They reached and climbed the stairs without incident, but when Wrex reached the floor above, he called a halt.

Shepard moved through the team as they crouched on the stairs, weapons at the ready, and came up alongside the krogan. She immediately understood why he had stopped. Footfalls could be heard down the next corridor, the one that could only have went to the garage. She waved the others up, and as they got into position, she activated her cloak. The active camouflage covered her, flickering her visible form away.

The Commander crept forward, ahead of the others, as the orange glow of fires rose across the walls. Her helmet's night vision turned itself off automatically when the light became too bright. The colonists were dealing with the lack of power very quickly. She kept moving, shielded from sight. The garage was under a strange, heavy atmosphere when she finally rounded the last corner and entered. She could only see onto the raised walkways, but dared not go any further on her own.

Shepard crouched down and hid behind a pillar, watching the scene in front of her. The Alliance veterans and corporate security troops, who had fought so hard against the geth, were engrossed with the garage gate. Standing behind the barricades, they stared like it was the most interesting thing in the universe, unable to tear their eyes from it. They were all armed, and not one said a word to another. A few tended fires in barrels, adding fuel to the flames so that there would be light, but their heads swivelled on their necks between the direction of the door and their work. The only noise was that of the fires, hissing and crackling. What faces she could see were pained and tired. The control was taking a toll on them.

Shepard watched them, left cold with disgust at their fate. This was a form of slavery beyond anything she had seen or heard of, and she had seen plenty. Taking a breath, she put this thought aside and examined the positions of the colonists. They were standing close together in firing positions arranged around where they thought the Alliance soldiers would enter from. She made a quick calculation in her head, and confident they could be surprised, turned around.

She moved back to where she had arrived, and found her squad waiting in the darkness. She decloaked, startling a few of them, and motioned for them to gather around. The team very carefully moved to her.

"They're all watching the main gate," Shepard whispered, "We take them by surprise, use Tali's shock device and stun them. No firing unless you absolutely have to."

All heads nodded. The team stood up, weapons at the ready and waiting for her to lead the way. Shepard's jaw clenched for a moment, nerves getting to her. This was getting far from the sort of stand up fight or stealth mission she was used to. She unslung her shotgun confidently, hoping to hide her feelings. It seemed to fool the others, who fell in behind her without betraying any nerves of their own.

They advanced with their weapons held up and their omnitools at the ready.

Stepping into the warm light, the assault team picked their targets. The Commander watched them crouch and crawl to the best positions to hit as many of the enthralled as possible.

"Now," said Shepard quietly. She fired her stunner, as did most of the others, the electrical discharge sending bolts around the bodies of the targeted individuals. It was quite a show.

All those who were hit went down, but the corpers started getting up again almost immediately. Their armour had provided too much insulation. As they got up, those who hadn't been hit turned as one and began firing. Cursing, Shepard dove for cover with her crewmates as the colonists' shots began pinging and booming off the concrete around her. They held their fire in a remarkable display of discipline, to her surprise.

"Commander, orders?" Kaidan asked, as he attempted to suppress the shooters with his submachinegun by shooting at the roof above them. They remained unperturbed by the bullets, and continued shooting, as if they weren't human at all.

Shepard hung her head. She realised that there was only one option. She had already failed. Another massacre for the history books with her name beside it. She opened her mouth to give the order to open fire.

Liara hopped over her cover before the others began to shoot, and with a clenched fist, lifted almost all of the colonists into the air with her biotics. They span and tried to grab hold of something as the gravity well pulled them off their feet. Kaidan got up as well, and flung a bolt of biotic power into the singularity, causing it to explode. The colonists were flung about, landing awkwardly. The Commander climbed to her feet, surprised that the bold move had worked but very glad for it.

"Quickly, stun them!" Shepard said.

Roaring, Wrex was the first to respond. He charged in and punched the first of the thralls to get onto his feet, knocking the poor man out cold. The others quickly fired their stunners at the groggy and injured alike. Liara stumbled as she deflected a stray pistol shot with her barrier. Shepard grabbed to support her, but the asari soon straightened herself.

The few colonists that hadn't been caught out, Wrex ended with his shotgun. They tumbled with large bloody holes carved in their upper bodies, dead before even hitting the ground. Shepard watched them fall, recognising them as some of the veterans. She felt like getting sick. They had retired to a quiet colony only to be used first as guinea pigs and then as cannon fodder. The rumbling, familiar anger rose in her throat again.

"Shepard!" Garrus exclaimed, pointing at something behind the Commander. She turned.

A moan sounded around the large space.

From the entrance at the other side of the garage, the most disgusting creatures she had ever laid eyes on shambled into the light of the fires. They appeared almost human. Each of their faces was exactly the same, like clones. The pallor of their skin was a sickly grey-green, as if they had green pus for blood. Tendrils of plant-like fibres grew from their eye sockets, covering large parts of their bodies. Instead of fingers, they had long, sharp claws made of a chitin material. Behind the first, their numbers filled the corridor beyond from wall to wall.

Shepard watched these horrors and felt her blood boil over, realising that these things had been made by the Thorian as a sick parody of humanity. She had found an outlet for her anger.

"Dios Mio, what are those!" exclaimed Vega.

"Dead," growled Shepard, glancing at the deceased veterans and stunned corpers, "Tali, get the gate open!"

"We're definitely going to need the help," Ashley added, as the quarian ran to the control interface.

Everyone else began pouring fire into the mass of creepers. A cacophony of hums and blasts echoed around the chamber as the squads cut the creepers down. Still more came on, moaning like something from a B horror movie. Shepard watched with grim fascination as she fired. The things needed to be literally shredded with fire to stay down. Headshots seemingly did nothing. Where had these monsters been hiding all this time?

"These things just don't die!" said Kamille, as she fired on more of the creepers. The enemy had found their way around to the only other exit. Shepard fired her shotgun on full automatic into the newcomers, as she realised she had been cut off. The targets had more holes than Swiss cheese after the barrage, but only about half went down. The Commander and Kamille backed off as Kaidan threw the survivors at the wall with biotic force.

"Any time now Tali," said Garrus, an edge of worry in his voice as he reloaded his rifle. Shepard glanced back at the quarian, and she was fiddling with the console quickly.

"I've almost got it!" she replied.

The creepers advanced, forcing everyone backwards into a ring around the young engineer. They ignored the knocked-out colonists, pressing forward despite the waves of shots piercing their bodies. Kaidan and Vega pulled some of the civilians' bodies back behind the cordon quickly, so the teams wouldn't accidentally shoot them.

"We're out of time!" shouted Ashley, moving back as Essex covered her with warp bolts, proving himself.

Shepard flinched as the gate to the skyway exploded, falling inwards with a huge clang as the metal hit the ground. Bright white light poured into the garage, illuminating the horrors in front of her. Its source was a spotlight, mounted on top of one of two walkers. The war machines strode into the building, towering over the other occupants. For a moment, the enemy stood still, as if unsure what to make of the new opponents. Shepard looked on in disbelief. Some of the monsters even had their heads cocked to the side in an almost comic gesture.

The creepers snapped out of it, jumping off the walkways and onto the main floor of the garage to charge at the metal beasts. The walkers' gatling cannons spun up and fired, turning whole groups of the monsters into chunks of green meat and goo. To Shepard's surprise, the things still kept on coming, trying to take her along to whatever hell Cassone's pilots were sending them to. It did no good. She cut her attackers, their diminished numbers unable to overwhelm the firepower of her team.

The fighting stopped just as abruptly as it started, without a command. There was suddenly nothing left to shoot. Shepard edged forwards, into the light. She flipped one of the corpses with her foot. It gurgled at her. She recoiled, and shot it. She thanked her lucky stars that the things didn't have kinetic barriers or biotics. They were bad enough as it was.

The Commander turned back to her team-mates. They were all relieved to be alive, but ready for more. Wrex in particular seemed to be enjoying himself, quite a feat of communication considering he still had his helmet on. She walked to Vega's group.

"Good work, Gunnery-Chief," she said, "The rest of you too, thanks."

"It was our pleasure ma'am," said Vega in return. Shepard smiled at the man, and held her hand out for him to shake, which he took.

Shepard turned to find that Major Cassone had arrived with his infantry. They moved around the legs of the walkers, weapons raised as they followed their CO. She watched him pick his way rather casually through the bodies, albeit with care not to step in anything.

"I see you ran into these things as well," he said as he stumbled his way up to join her.

"That's why you opened fire earlier?" Shepard asked, "The colonists didn't shoot you at all?"

Cassone shook his head.

"We haven't seen a single colonist since the weigh-station back at Exogeni," he replied, "Unless these things are the colonists?"

Shepard shook her head, and pointed at the sprawled out unconscious bodies of the corporate security troops and the Alliance veterans.

"They came at us like they were possessed," Shepard said, "No fear at all. The stunners didn't work so well against the armoured ones, but I think they're all accounted for now."

"It was nasty, Major," added Vega, "We almost had to kill them all, until that asari hit them with her biotics."

Shepard frowned. She had been hasty to try and order the colonists killed, but then again, she hadn't known that Liara could achieve such a feat. A matter to consider later, she decided, returning her thoughts to the present.

"We need to press on," she said, "Major, push into the building and surround the main plaza. Damaged or not, that's where the rest of them will be. And watch out for more of these things."

Cassone nodded at a subordinate nearby, who began chattering on his comms.

"What makes you think they'll be there?" the Major asked.

Shepard turned to Liara for the explanation. After a moment on her omnitool, the asari brought up a schematic of the building.

"I looked up the plans for the colony as soon as I knew we would have to find the Thorian ourselves," she said, "They have concealed the entrance to the central structure of the spire underneath the prefabricated buildings they use for housing. It is the only entrance to that area. They will guard it."

"Couldn't we knock a hole somewhere else to gain access?" asked Cassone.

"The walls around it are the main weight bearing supports for the spire," Liara replied, "We could force our way in, but we might cause the whole structure to collapse on top of us if we try."

Cassone grimaced at the thought.

"Which wouldn't be good," he said.

"Obviously," said Shepard flatly, "We kept the gas just in case, so we should be able to get through them before they can stop us. What we need you to do is contain the rest while we deal with the Thorian itself."

"Got you," said Cassone nodding, "Alright Commander, let's get through this."

The man saluted and exited onto the skyway again. Squads of soldiers moved past their leader, bound for the corridors into the spire proper. Vega saluted and led his squad to join them. Shepard watched them pass for a moment, hoping they wouldn't die because of her lack of foresight.

"Wrex, you got what you need?" she said, walking over to the krogan as he talked to an Army corporal. The krogan turned around and held the item in question out, chuckling deeply as he did so.

"Shepard, you humans have some of the best toys!" Wrex declared, his voice rendered deeper and louder by his helmet's speaker. The krogan began stowing the object on his back with a mag-holster.

"It's a turian design, actually," said Garrus, clearly amused.

"As long as you're happy, Wrex," said Shepard with some sarcasm, "Let's move out!"

* * *

The salarian wandered along, sweeping his shotgun from left to right as he did so, black eyes darting around. He licked his lips slightly, a condition of his nervousness or perhaps his control by the thing living a hundred feet below. The light on his weapon followed his moves, jittering about as much as he did. Shepard recognised him immediately as the merchant that had been hanging around Zhu's Hope. She watched him coolly from the shadows, her cloak active again, waiting for the chance. He had suffered enough, it was near time to put him out of his misery as far as she was concerned.

Seemingly satisfied that he had looked over the area enough, he walked forward towards where the rest of his would-be enemies were hiding. Shepard stepped out and deactivated her cloak. She padded as lightly as she could into the corridor and took up position directly behind him. As she was about to activate her omnitool to stun him, the echoes of a firefight rose along the walls. It took both of them by surprise.

The salarian turned his head around as quickly as only one of his kind could, searching for the source. His eyes almost popped out of his skull upon seeing the armoured human female standing behind him, and he began to swing around his body to bring the shotgun to bear.

Shepard reacted quickly to the change in his demeanour. She balled her right hand into a fist and jabbed it straight into the salarian's face. The blow caught him dead centre in his skull, with a satisfying thump. He dropped his shotgun and brought both his hands up to his face by instinct. She followed up by finally activating her omnitool. The stunner glowed orange, and lanced an electrical arc into his body. The poor soul slumped to the ground unconscious, the faint smell of ozone lingering about him for a moment.

Shepard took a breath, relieved that she hadn't been compelled to use lethal force. Looking around to make sure the coast was clear, she whistled. The others emerged from a doorway about twenty feet down, and gathered around the incapacitated salarian.

"Huh, it's Ledra," said Tali, "Poor guy, he helped me with some components I needed to get around the jamming signal."

"Tried to rip me off for a mod," muttered Wrex, evidently not shaken up about the salarian's fate.

Shepard bent over and dragged the salarian into a corner, propping him up against the wall. She made a pair of plastic cuffs with her omnitool, and slapped them onto his hands before standing up again.

"They're sending colonists out to scout for us," she said, "I guess the Thorian's figured out that we have some non-lethal weapons."

"Which means that more of those monsters will be coming for us," said Ashley, "But we're so close!"

Another set of echoes bounced off the concrete, indicating that another firefight had broken out somewhere. Shepard frowned. Even without direct reports, it was obvious that the attack was meeting stiff resistance. She reflected with some sadness that this probably meant more dead colonists.

The shooting noises were soon joined by another; a deep, guttural moaning and rasping.

More of the Thorian thralls came shambling out of the darkness, coming down the final stretch of corridor from the main plaza. The Commander raised her shotgun, revealing the twisted identical faces of the creepers, pale green and ruptured with gnarled root growths. Shepard's lip curled with disgust. She set her weapon to semi-automatic.

"Speak of the devil," Kaidan muttered, as the team crowded behind cover.

Shepard opened fire, taking greater care to aim before each discharge. Simply spraying the creatures with accelerated buckshot was satisfying, but it was far less efficient at incapacitating the creatures. They could take a lot of hits before going down. Most of the shots were caught by the front row, and the creepers behind simply stepped over the bodies of their fellows. Instead, she aimed for the knees and legs.

It worked. With each shot, more and more of the things were crawling rather than running, clawing their way along the concrete in a green smear. The team's barrage started, finishing off the ones that fell with extreme prejudice. The creepers that were still standing slipped on the mess, adding to the quagmire in front. Liara held her hand up in a clenched fist, putting a singularity into the air above, sending corpses and living weapons alike sprawling. Shepard bit her lip, and kept firing. This was a pointless slaughter that wouldn't delay her from getting to the Thorian for long, and it was obvious. Something else was going on, but what?

The Commander got her answer when the groaning of yet more creepers sounded from the rear, coming up the stairwell from which the team had come. She was surrounded. Cursing, she reloaded her weapon and began to shoot at the newcomers. They fell with their knees and thighs ripped apart, but without the weight of fire of the entire team on them, the sheer weight of numbers let the monsters advance.

"We need to retreat!" said Garrus, between bursts of his rifle, "They're closing in from both sides now!"

Kaidan sent a flurry of biotic attacks into the rear, throwing four or five creepers into hard contact with the walls, but double the number simply stepped into the gap. Shepard kept her cool.

"No, we can't retreat now, not when we're this close!" the Commander shouted, "Time to see if that gas really works."

She grabbed two of the grenades from their pouch, and activated the first. She flung it neatly. It arched over the front ranks, and landed in their midst. A soft hiss, and the gas spread through the crowd as a pale green fog. In seconds, the creepers fell as if they were pushed by an invisible force, tumbling over each other and piling up.

"Well, that worked," said Garrus with incredulity, "We should have opened with those."

"They don't grow on trees, Vakarian," replied Shepard, as the whole team turned back to deal with the frontal assault. When she was satisfied that enough of the thralls had gathered, the second grenade was tossed at them. Once again, the mist enveloped the creepers, and they fell in droves.

Shepard got up and looked. The path to the plaza was a little more open. Pleased with her handiwork, she was interrupted as Tali went over to the nearest victim. The young quarian poked it with the end of her shotgun, before flinching, realising that everyone was watching her.

"Sorry, I was just wondering if they were dead or asleep," she said sheepishly.

"I am not sure they were ever truly alive," Liara said, "Though xenobiology is not my field of study."

"Whatever they are, they're disgusting," said Ashley, "Let's go."

"Agreed," said Shepard, motioning Wrex to join her on point. The krogan complied, and the crew fell in, stepping over the dozens of oozing corpses.

When they finally made it to ground that wasn't covered with the "dead" bodies, they made good time. No matter how many sweeps she made, no more of the creatures or enslaved colonists could be found. Shepard began to feel more uneasy with every step.

"This is a trap," growled Wrex, as he opened the second-to-last door on the way. Yet another undefended hallway lay ahead, the beams of light finding nothing but dust. The final portal was visible in the gloom, standing invitingly. The sounds of fighting still echoed from below and from side passages. Shepard realised that there was only one explanation.

"They're waiting for us," she agreed, "The colonists."

"Doesn't help that they're all armed," said Kaidan, "They'll have hundreds of weapons pointed at that door, and we don't get to download into a new body like the geth do."

"If you invade the United States, there will be a rifle behind every blade of grass," quoted Ashley, frowning, "Never thought they'd be aimed at me."

"We still need to get to the Thorian," said Liara, "The colony is counting on us."

Shepard took off her helmet and ruffled her hair for a moment, thinking about what to do. Simply opening the door and rushing in would get everyone killed. No doubt all the other entrances would be similarly protected. The gas grenades, what little of them she had, wouldn't do much good if no one was alive long enough to throw them. Frustrated, she kneaded her palm.

The comms burst into life. Gunfire and groaning echoed around the chamber, as Cassone began to speak.

"Verdun, this is Bad Company, we are encountering heavy resistance from the colonists and whatever those damn things helping them are. We can push through, but it'll cost us. Request orders."

Shepard sighed. The Major had a talent for passing the buck. He'd go far, she reckoned. The plan to contain the colonists and then punch through without killing them all had gone completely wrong. Time to improvise.

"Bad Company, this is Verdun. Withdraw, we'll take care of it," she said, before closing the comm-link

"Without support, we're not going to be able to do this," said Garrus.

"And if I order the troops forward, hundreds of colonists and soldiers will die," replied Shepard, "What do you think will happen to morale if it gets out that Alliance forces were forced to kill Alliance citizens?"

"So what is your plan?" asked Wrex, impatiently.

Shepard grabbed the grenade pouch off of her belt, and held it up at arms length to the krogan with a grin.

"You are my plan, Wrex."

A ripple of disbelief went through the team, but Wrex simply showed his teeth and drew closer. Shepard weathered his attempt to intimidate, and kept her eyes locked on his. The krogan stopped short.

"I'm not going to die to save your civilians, Shepard," he growled, "You wouldn't do the same for me."

The Commander threw the krogan the pouch, which he caught.

"That's not the plan," she said, "You're the only one who can survive long enough to get those grenades where they need to be. Liara, Kaidan, I need you to help. Throw the colonists off balance, lift them off their feet, do whatever you can to make sure they can't fire. The rest of us will rush to the crane controls and open the way to the Thorian. We regroup and go kill the damn plant."

Shepard waited for someone to respond. No one said a word. Faces were concealed behind helmet plates or were deliberately neutral. She began to worry that they wouldn't go further, that they thought she was completely mad.

"I'm with you either way, ma'am," said Kaidan, breaking the silence.

"It is a dangerous job, but I am a biotic," Liara added, "We have to stop the Thorian."

Shepard nodded her appreciation to the two, and looked to the krogan. He had turned his back, and was watching the far door.

"Wrex, are you in?" she asked, "I don't think ordering you would get us anywhere."

"Damn right it wouldn't," he said, "But if the asari is in, it would be embarrassing if the krogan sat on his ass. Let's do this."

Wrex marched directly at the door with a purpose, not wasting a second. Shepard quickly waved the others forward. She knew what he had in mind as soon as he had taken the first step. Putting her helmet back on, she fell in behind him. He kept moving, gripping his shotgun.

The krogan's pace increased from walking to running to charging. The door got closer and closer by the second. It opened seamlessly, as Shepard suspected it would. The Thorian _wanted_ them to try and stop it. Wrex ran straight through, into the dim moonlight of the plaza.

The gunfire erupted like a volcano, strobing light from the barrels of the weapons flashing around as tracer shots flowed from every direction. Behind every barricade and pillar, the colonists were . Wrex continued forwards, roaring with pain but still very much alive. Liara and Kaidan used their biotics, covering the advance, but it was like trying to bail out the ocean with a bucket. There were just too many of them to deal with.

Shepard could only watch him from the corner of her eye. The shots bounced off her own kinetic barriers, forcing her to duck behind the broken blocks of concrete and metal. The ricochets carved shallow grooves in the ground around her position. She found herself unable to advance further than a mere handful of metres from the doorway. A quick look around confirmed that the others were in the same situation.

The Commander took a breath and exhaled it, readying herself. She glanced around the corner of the rubbled concrete. The colonists were crowded together tightly, standing room only for the turkey shoot. She ducked back as the shooters noticed her, and looked over at Wrex as the bullets ricocheted around her position for the second time.

The krogan stood up from behind the barrier and tossed his grenades one after the other. The gaseous haze spread from all sides, obscuring the walls and sky from view. Much of the shooting died down immediately. Sensing her chance, Shepard jumped over the concrete and activated her cloak, moving through the fog. A quick glance behind confirmed that Ashley, Garrus and Liara were following behind. Confident she'd survive the next few minutes, she reached for the first barricade and pulled it down.

The colonists were heaped about, their weapons scattered. They were still alive if their heavy breathing was any indicator. Some of them groaned, others twitched slightly before calming down, but all of them were incapacitated completely. Shepard cautiously entered the main space of the colony, weapon raised. She lowered it as soon as it became apparent that no one else was moving around except her own people.

"A single whiff of that stuff and they all went down," said Ashley, hardly believing her eyes as the fog began to disperse, "Are we sure it's safe?"

"It's weed-killer, I wouldn't breath too deeply if I were you," replied Shepard, "But we should be okay for now."

"Come on Chief, I think the crane controls are over there," Garrus cut in, pointing towards a console at the far end of the space, "I'll need some help."

Ashley nodded, and the two walked around the piles of sleeping bodies towards their goal, weapons at the ready. Shepard watched them go, satisfied that they were falling into the proper relationship that should exist in a squad despite the history of their two species.

"Wrex is hurt!" said Liara from behind.

Shepard spun on the spot, and found the krogan propped up against a barricade with Kaidan and Tali attending to him. She moved, and looked him over. The entire front of his body was perforated with wounds, his orange-red blood covering him. He coughed a little, but seemed otherwise unconcerned.

"Are you alright Wrex?" said Shepard, "That was pretty damn good back there."

The krogan's eyes turned upwards to look at her. The Commander just stared back, trying to convey her concern for his health. He waved his hand flippantly.

"This is nothing," he said at last, "And of course it was good, I've been doing this for a very long time. Now leave me here and kill that thing so we can get out of here."

Shepard slowly nodded, and stepped back again.

The crane attached to an old Grizzly colonial transport vehicle screeched to life, turning all heads to it. Ashley was prodding the joystick, and lifted a section of the housing clean away from the rest. The Chief set the room down on top of another, and jumped off the control platform to join Garrus by the space she had created. Shepard waved the others to follow her to join them, eager to see what they had uncovered.

It was a steep staircase, that seemed to go on forever, veiled in darkness that seemed deeper than that in the tunnels and corridors.

"Well, that's ominous," said Garrus, peering into the pitch blackness, "I don't suppose we're going to wait for the rest of the Alliance before we head down?"

Shepard shook her head, smiling as she did so.

"They'll catch up, but we don't know how long the gas will be effective," she replied, "We can't take the chance the colonists will wake up and cut us off."

"What are your orders, Commander?" Kaidan asked.

Shepard took off her helmet and rubbed the back of her neck. Wrex was in no shape to fight, and leaving him alone wasn't a good idea. More of the creeper creatures could appear at any moment. Someone would need to stay behind to act as a rearguard until Bad Company could reinforce them.

"Alenko, you'll stay behind with Williams, Wrex and Tali. Cover that entrance and defend it from hostiles. Vakarian and Liara, we'll take care of the Thorian."

Shepard activated her comms, stalling Ashley's complaint with a raised hand.

"B Company, this is Verdun, the colonists have been knocked out, we need you up at the plaza ASAP," she said.

"Copy Verdun, en route now," replied Cassone, "We've encountered more of those monsters, but they appear to be retreating as fast as they can."

"The Thorian knows we're close, you better hurry up here."

"Copy."

Shepard closed the comm-link again, and turned to her crewmates.

"Stay alive."

"You too, Commander," replied Ashley, seemingly resigned now that she wouldn't be coming along.

Shepard clapped her on the shoulder, and turned to leave with Liara and Garrus.

"Wait Shepard," called Wrex, standing up awkwardly, "You'll need this."

The krogan grabbed the bulky item from his back holster, and held it out. The Commander took it from him and attached it to her own armour, handing Garrus her rail-rifle to make room.

"Don't worry, I'll give it back," said Shepard.

"You better!" replied Wrex, as he sat back down, "I'm looking forward to using it on Saren."

* * *

Shepard stopped dead in the darkness. She had finally reached the bottom of the steps with Liara and Garrus after what seemed like an endless spiral, only to be greeted by the sight of yet more of the creepers. She flinched and centred her sights on the targets, and waited for them to move. They didn't. Upon further inspection, they appeared to be sitting down in a strange foetal position. Her helmet picked them out as living creatures, or at least something the right temperature.

"Are they asleep?" asked Liara softly, not quite whispering.

Shepard said nothing, but waited for a moment to see if they'd move after hearing the turian speak. They did not. She crept forward a few steps to the nearest, and kicked it in the head. The thing gurgled, sending a shiver down her spine, but remained seemingly unconscious.

"This just keeps getting better and better," she muttered, wondering what the hell she had stumbled into. Why were the things suddenly so docile?

"There seem to be a lot of them," said Garrus, his targeting visor humming slightly as he scanned the space ahead, "Tell me again why we left the others upstairs?"

Shepard sighed, regretting the decision herself.

"I thought we'd get attacked from behind," she replied, "Besides, if the colonists wake up, I'd prefer that you two weren't involved if they start hurting people again."

Garrus scoffed.

"You're thinking like a politician already, Commander," the turian said, "Keep the Council species away from massacring human civilians... Smart, if things get ugly."

Shepard didn't know how to reply to that, or if it was a compliment at all. Annoyed slightly, she shrugged it off and watched the space around them for any signs of movement.

"Liara, bring up a floor plan and tell us where to go next."

The asari complied, her omnitool activating and sending orange light around the room in a bubble. The map she brought up was complex, but she soon had a hold of where they were. She turned off the tool and took her pistol back into her hands again.

"There is a large space just ahead," explained Liara, "We should be able to spot the main tendrils of the Thorian from there."

Shepard tightly grasped her automatic shotgun and moved forwards, meandering her way through the "sleeping" creepers. Each of them seemed to shudder slightly as she approached, but remained as still as statues as she passed. Disgusted, she picked up her pace.

They made their way forwards and approached a huge space within minutes. The walls seemed to curve around, suggesting it was at the very centre of the spire. Shepard noticed this as she spotted something in the dark gloom, hanging from the sides of the surrounding walkways, but was unable to make it out even with her night-vision and heat sensors. She called a halt, confused as to what exactly she was seeing.

"You see that?" the Commander whispered to her friends, pointing ahead to the platform that seemed to hang off the edge of the abyss.

"Could it be the Thorian?" asked Liara.

"Doesn't look like a plant to me," replied Shepard, "Looks almost like it's part of the structure."

"Well, this is where the data said the thing was, so it has to be here somewhere," said Garrus, "Only one way to find out."

Shepard slung her weapon and reached for her belt, eventually producing a red chemical flare. She twisted the top of it, and the bright red flame burst to life, causing her helmet to turn off its IRNV once again. She whipped the flare over to the platform, and it landed below the 'structure', revealing it.

The sight left her gasping in shock.

What was before her could only be described as a biological abomination. If it was a plant, it was the most bizarre specimen ever observed. Its huge bulk hung over the precipice of the spire's core, from thick, cable-like vines that curved around the support pillars that lined the sides of the space. Its body was a huge, bulbous mass. The worst was what could pass for a face. Tentacles hung from what looked like a mouth, as multiple eye-like structures in sockets sat still above them. The flare's light threw shadows across the thing.

Shepard felt a gut-wrenching fear fall over her, and she grabbed the only comfort she had to stop it overwhelming her.

Wrex's flamethrower.

She brought the cumbersome weapon up under her arm, holding it on her hip, and activated the pilot flame. The others raised their weapons by reflex as they took in the sight.

"What is this?" asked Garrus.

"It is unlike anything I have ever seen," said Liara, her voice wavering.

"This might be a problem," said Shepard, struggling to control her urge to wash the being with flame without further hesitation.

To make matters worse, the tentacles began twitching furiously.

"What is it doing?" asked Liara.

Mucus began pouring out of the mouth of the Thorian. A shape emerged from the mouth slowly, landing between the tentacles. It got off its knees and stood up into the light, revealing itself to be an asari of an unusual colour that could quite be ascertained. Shepard pointed the flamethrower directly at the newcomer, holding on to the contents of her stomach galantly. Was this one of Saren's people? Or one of Benezia's?

"Invaders! Your every step is a transgression, a thousand feelers appraise you as meat, good only to dig or decompose. I speak for the Old Growth, as I did for Saren. You are within and before the Thorian. It commands that you be in awe!"

Shepard stared at the asari, her trigger finger getting ever more itchy. But she had to ask something first.

"You spoke for Saren?" she growled, "He was here?"

"Saren sought knowledge of those who are gone. The Old Growth listened to flesh for the first time in the Long Cycle. Trades were made. Then cold ones began killing the flesh that would tend the next cycle. Flesh fairly given! The Old Growth sees the air the meat pushes as lies. It will listen no more!"

Shepard stepped forward.

"In that case, I'll kill it with fire."

She triggered the flamethrower at last, hosing a blast of ignited liquid at the Thorian itself. The flames splashed over the surface of the thing, and it screeched in pain. Or maybe its thralls did. The Commander held down the trigger until she was satisfied that the 'plant' would burn completely, emptying half the tank in a single attack. She had brought it expecting something more along the lines of a tree, but it seemed to be effective anyway. The whole space of the central spire was lit up now as the Thorian began to ignite.

The enslaved asari danced out of the flames and sent her target sprawling with a biotic throw. Shepard flew into a pillar with enough force to kill an unarmoured person. The air knocked out of her, she struggled to breath. She looked up, to make sure the enemy wasn't standing over her, ready to deliver the killing blow. Instead, she found Liara and the thrall trading biotic attacks in a flurry, testing each other's capabilities as if in a duel.

"DOWN T'SONI!" shouted Garrus from out of Shepard's sight.

Liara complied immediately, dropping to her stomach in an instant. The enemy swung around, looking to take advantage. It was too late. Garrus triggered the anti-materiel rifle, and the shot tore right through the pseudo-asari, spraying blood all over the floor and walls behind. The thrall collapsed, very much dead with her entire upper body broken.

Shepard coughed deeply, wondering if she had broken ribs. Her sides ached like they never had before. Liara came over and helped her up, an action that almost had her screaming with pain. She clenched her jaw shut to avoid it, and opened her eyes. The Thorian was burning entirely on its own now, parts of its mass falling off into the pit below.

The Commander grinned through her pain.

"That's for the colonists, you bastard," she said.

"Are you alright Shepard?" Liara asked, as she supported the Commander's weight.

"No," she replied, wincing as she bent a little too far for a moment before looking around again, "Where's Garrus?"

Liara motioned upwards with her eyes, and Shepard followed them.

"Commander, you're going to want to see this," Garrus said, leaning over the edge of the balcony on the floor above. Shepard groaned, and motioned with her head for Liara to help her up the ramp to join him as she clinged on. A few excruciating moments, and they made it. She thanked her rescuer with a warm smile, before nearly jumping out of her skin.

The same asari that had just been killed stood beside Garrus, though she was a much more healthy shade of purple-blue as opposed to the green of the Thorian's slave. Shepard's hand twitched towards her weapons, but Garrus' expression was calm. Hesitating at the last second, she opted to listen instead.

"I'm free!" said the asari, "I can't believe it."

Shepard and Liara looked at each other in confusion. Garrus coughed and pointed to some sort of sack-like growth on the wall behind him. The Commander got his meaning immediately. This asari had somehow been trapped inside it, and now had escaped.

"I suppose I should thank you for releasing me," the asari continued.

"Who are you?" asked Shepard, "Are you alright?"

"I am fine, or I will be. My name is Shiala. I am a commando. I serve... served Matriarch Benezia. When she allied herself with Saren, so did I."

A great howling sound went up through the air. Shepard quickly looked down at the lower levels. The Thorian was a charred shell of what it was before, but the creepers were on the move, running around in every direction. She groaned again, this time out of exasperation. She had hoped the thralls would die with their master, but she wasn't that lucky.

"Let's continue this conversation on the Normandy," the Commander said, "Can you move?"

The asari seemed unsure, but the group was interrupted when two dozen creepers began storming up the ramp to get at them. Shepard reacted immediately, leaning on Liara with one arm and bringing the flamethrower to bear with the other. The cluster of green thralls walked right into the wave of fire, and stopped dead immediately.

"It seems that fire disagrees with them, Commander," said Garrus, before he put a few shots into the creepers that were still standing with a pistol.

"The smell is horrendous," noted Liara, putting her free hand to the side of her helmet to close the full-face visor.

"I've only got a quarter of a tank left," replied Shepard, "And I think I've broken a rib or two. This is going to be difficult."

The cosmos heard her, and the sounds of gunfire began echoing through the halls as _When Johnny Comes Marching Home_ filled the air for the second time in as many days. Shepard almost collapsed to the floor with relief right there and then, and would have if Liara hadn't been supporting her.

"Verdun, this is Delta Squad," said Vega on the comms, "We ran into your Chief Williams and figured you'd need some help down here."

"Gunnery-Chief Vega, I owe you a drink," said Shepard, "Mission is complete, we just need to get out of here. Relaying our position to you now."


	22. Chapter 18: Mindfields

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD:_

_Hold on to your hats, canon's about to receive another hammer blow. _

_Enjoy._

**Chapter 18: Mindfields**

Shepard awoke slowly but gracefully, as the Normandy's medbay came into blurry eyed view. She rolled over, experimenting to see if she would face another spike of pain. Nothing happened, and satisfied that she was healed enough to accomplish the act, she sat up on the bed. She felt surprisingly well, considering she had been forced to spend a day under medical supervision, with many of those hours also requiring her to prepare a report for the Council and Alliance High Command. It probably had to do with the fact she had found a general location for the monster that had started everything. The notion of getting her hands on Saren so quickly producing an effect bordering on giddiness. Karen Chakwas had undoubtedly helped the healing process as well.

"Ah, Commander," said the doctor, looking over from her desk, "You slept like a baby."

Shepard stretched a little, unable to stifle a yawn. She checked her watch, and saw that it had been more than twelve hours since she fell asleep. Karen got up and walked over.

"How are we feeling today?" the doctor asked, omnitool activated.

"Much better now," Shepard replied, rubbing her side, "I don't think I've been hurt that badly since... well, since the last war."

Karen peered at her for a moment, before continuing her scan.

"Well, you had pretty serious bruising across your side, but you should be fully healed in a week or two," the doctor said.

Pleased by the news, Shepard stood up from the bed carefully, in as straight a posture as she could muster, falling back into her duty now that she was sure she could carry it out. She wasn't the only one who had been hurt.

"What about the others? Report," she said.

"Wrex is still sedated, but appears to be regenerating his tissues at a rate I've never seen before," said Chakwas, "His wounds are numerous, but they didn't appear to hit anything too vital, mostly secondary organs. I thought it was best to keep him asleep, given krogan neurological reactions to injury. I would say he'd need at least a month's rest, but..."

The doctor inclined her head, indicating behind. The Commander twisted around on the spot, and sure enough, the huge krogan was laying on his back unconscious. Parts of his armour were removed and his wounds covered with salves. He seemed to be content, if anything. She was glad to see him breathing at all.

"Take good care of him doc, I owe him a lot," said Shepard.

"Don't worry, he's taking care of himself," Karen stated, a smile on her face now, "Tali came in asking for more painkillers, but I couldn't get a look at her because our surgical bay isn't rated as a clean room by quarian standards. I could have rigged something up, but Tali was eager to get back to the engine room."

Shepard frowned.

"She fell out of a walker trying to get out of it, no wonder she needed some help."

"Fell out of a walker?" asked Karen.

"It was exploding at the time," shrugged Shepard.

The doctor hummed her worry about the young quarian. The Commander reminded herself to see if Tali was actually okay, when she had time.

"Both Lieutenant Alenko and Dr. T'soni came asking for eezo supplements and something for headaches. It seems that both of them strained themselves with their biotics."

A pair of cool eyes fell on Shepard, assigning the blame where it was due. Feeling somewhat guilty, she held her hands up.

"Things got crazy down there, they both did their duty."

"Do you know what it takes for an asari to push herself beyond her biotic limits?" asked Chakwas.

"Floating an entire room's worth of colonists, three heavy geth units, and fighting the clone of an asari commando in a biotic duel," said Shepard flatly.

"Well, for future reference, I'll inform them not to go so hard unless it's absolutely necessary," said Chakwas, "Though I'm sure that won't make a difference."

"Probably not," admitted Shepard.

"Garrus came in with a gunshot wound," proceeded the doctor.

Shepard eyes widened. "He didn't say anything about being wounded to me..."

"He was hit during the final attack, or so he says," replied Chakwas, "It wasn't serious, he applied medigel at the site and came in looking to make sure it wasn't going to be a problem."

Shepard shook her head in disbelief. "I wonder why he didn't tell me."

Chakwas laughed at that, surprising her superior officer. "I take it you haven't worked with many turians before, Commander. They're very proud and bound by tradition. If a wound doesn't stop them, they don't feel obligated to report it, they just get it seen to."

Shepard tried to remember seeing blood or damage to Vakarian's armour, but failed. As far as she could recall, he had been perfectly fine walking back to the Normandy. Unable to make anything of it, she dismissed it. Unlike Tali, Garrus was a veteran of who knew how many operations, there was little need to worry if he didn't.

"What about our guest?" the Commander asked.

"Shiala is perfectly healthy in physical terms, though I would worry about her mental state," replied Chakwas, "She's asked to see you, when you're ready."

"I have to talk to her before a spook shows up to do it for us," Shepard said wearily, "I'll need to complete my report anyway. Hopefully she has something we can use against Saren."

The doctor's expression turned to one of worry again, and she put her hand on Shepard's shoulder.

"You really need to give yourself a break sometimes, the whole galaxy isn't your responsibility," Chakwas said, "You've learned too well from Anderson, he's the exact same."

Shepard smiled. "That's what shore leave is for," she said, "I couldn't look Anderson in the eye again if I eased off at any other time."

"Then as your chief medical officer, I order you to go on shore leave," said Chakwas seriously.

Shepard kept her face as neutral as possible, putting on her best political facade to deliver her response.

"I'll take that under advisement."

* * *

Shiala sat quietly in front of Shepard in the briefing room, guarded on both sides by ensigns and watched closely by Chief Williams. So far, all the asari commando had done while on board was sleep and meditate, while politely avoiding contact with the humans. Shepard realised that this must have been out of a sense of shame, for which she had no explanation. The woman had willingly given herself up as a prisoner, despite seemingly being in service to both Saren and Benezia. That was reason enough to trust her, if only temporarily.

The Commander sat into the chair opposite the asari, as the other members of her ground team filed in to join the debriefing. Except for Wrex, who was now awake and gorging himself in the mess to aid his recovery. Once everyone had entered, she nodded to the guards to seal the room and commence recording the proceedings. She had no intention of giving the DID any excuse to censure her.

"Before we start, can I thank you once again for your assistance," Shiala said, "I would have been trapped forever if you had not come to my assistance."

Shepard inclined her head, accepting the thanks. It was honestly given, and so was to be honestly received.

"Do you know where Saren is?" she asked, "Is he in the Armstrong Nebula with the geth?"

"I do not. I served only Benezia directly, not Saren. She was aware of the many places where he would go to continue his work. The only time I ever had contact with him was on his ship, when we were proceeding to Feros."

Shepard frowned. Her hope to pinpoint exactly where the rogue Spectre was hiding hadn't panned out.

"Okay, do you know where Benezia is?"

"Most likely with Saren," Shiala replied, "She rarely leaves his side now."

"Why did Benezia ally herself with him in the first place?" said Shepard, "I was under the impression that asari matriarchs were supposed to be wise, long term thinkers, not radicals."

"Benezia saw that Saren's influence was growing greatly, that he would soon be capable of shaping galactic events almost single-handed. She joined him to guide him away from the darker paths. But Saren is a cunning man, able to compel those who serve him to obey without question. Benezia has fallen to him and lost her way."

"But how?" asked Liara desperately, "Benezia is not capable of tolerating the things that Saren has done, how could he persuade her to delve to such depths as mass murder?!"

Shiala's face dropped, somewhere between fear and sadness. Shepard felt uneasy at the sight. This was going to be worse than she thought.

"Benezia underestimated Saren, and we came to believe in his cause and his goals. The strength of his influence is troubling."

"She tried to manipulate Saren, but in the end, it backfired," said Garrus, "But how do you turn the tables on an asari matriarch like that?"

"Saren has a warship, an enormous vessel unlike anything in the galaxy," Shiala started.

"We know, we've seen it," Ashley interrupted.

"He calls it Sovereign. It can dominate the minds of his followers. They become indoctrinated to Saren's will. The process is subtle, it can take days or weeks, but when it is complete, the control is absolute."

"Does that mean you are indoctrinated as well?" Shepard asked.

Shiala nodded.

"I was a willing slave when Saren brought me to Feros, he needed me to communicate with the Thorian, to learn its secrets. I was sacrificed to the Thorian in return for an alliance."

"He seems very quick to betray his followers," said Shepard, thinking aloud, "Perhaps we can use that."

"Not to mention we can probably leverage the Council into cooperating further with this information," said Garrus, "I doubt the asari councillor will be amused by the news that Saren is giving up her citizens to hostile alien entities and controlling their minds."

"He betrayed the Thorian soon afterwards. When he had what he wanted, he ordered the geth to seize it or destroy it if you came along. It responded by using the enthralled colonists to defend itself. Saren knows you are searching for him, and the Conduit, so he acted to deny you what the Thorian had, the Cipher."

Shepard looked at the others for a moment, wondering if anyone else knew what that meant. Even Liara seemed to have no idea what the commando was talking about, so she turned back.

"The Cipher?"

"It is required to properly interpret the information from Prothean beacons. As you're probably aware, they were designed to function for Protheans only. The Cipher allows others to think like a Prothean, it's a series of cultural clues, histories and language that would allow Saren to find what he's looking for. The Thorian was here when the Protheans came and when they perished. It fed on their minds, and so possessed this."

"And you gave it to Saren?" asked Kaidan.

"Yes, I melded with his mind after the Thorian gave it to me," Shiala replied, "He now possesses the Cipher."

Shepard sighed.

"I need that knowledge to stop Saren," she said, "Would you be willing to help us?"

"There's no need, Commander. I can meld with you as well, granting you the knowledge from the Thorian directly," Shiala said, "But I must warn you, it will be uncomfortable."

The Commander stood up quickly.

"Do it," she ordered.

The room bristled. The guards looked at each other, while the faces of Shepard's crewmates turned to concern. "Commander, is this a good idea?" asked Ashley, "What if she tries to fry your mind or something? What if it's a trick by Saren?!"

"The Chief does have a point," agreed Garrus.

"We don't have a choice," replied Shepard calmly, "Besides, if she wanted to kill us, she could have done it when our backs were turned on Feros."

Williams and Vakarian sat down again, their argument defeated in their own minds and neither particularly happy about it. Ashley gave the back of Shiala's head a withering stare, before noticing that Shepard was watching her. Her eyes darted away to look at nothing.

The asari commando got out of her seat, and walked over.

"Very well, Commander," Shiala said, "Relax your mind..."

* * *

Liara took a deep breath as she stood outside the door. The sense of nervousness she felt electrified her. She fidgeted, contemplating whether or not to enter. Some words had been exchanged that gave her some small hope, but she was afraid that it would be crushed upon an open declaration. The Commander did not strike anyone as a person to pull their punches, verbally or otherwise.

However, there was another reason to visit these quarters beyond the personal. With her extensive knowledge of the Protheans, she knew she could help. The Commander had been given the Prothean Cipher, but it had not seemed to make much difference for the interpretation of her visions. She had retired to her stateroom immediately afterwards in frustration, saying that she had to finish her report for the Council and the Alliance. Liara hoped she could help, using the knowledge from her many studies to organise the images so they could be comprehended.

The problem was that this would require a meld, an intimate act of trust.

She checked the time. It was midnight. Deciding to bite the proverbial bullet, she pressed the button to request entry. The door swung open quickly. The small room seemed positively packed. The rear section was taken up entirely by a large double bed, evidently one of the perks of command on an Alliance starship as small as the Normandy. Liara quickly looked away from it. The Commander herself was sat at her desk, surrounded by holo-screens. Each was filled with a paused vid or picture from Feros. The Thorian, the geth and Shiala hung over Shepard's head as she tapped away at a tablet.

Liara stepped in, and she was immediately noticed.

"It's a great room, isn't it?" asked Shepard, "Can't say I miss hotbunking in the crew quarters, though sleeping in a bed with enough space to stretch is taking some getting used to."

Not quite able to believe that the reason for the Commander's restlessness was a more comfortable room, Liara gulped before responded. She remembered her investigation of Shepard's past.

"That seems like a strange reason to be unable to sleep," she said.

Shepard sighed, closing her eyes for a moment to rub them. "The beacon dredged up some bad memories. I've had nightmares before, but whatever the information the Prothean machine forced into my mind has stirred them up."

Liara opened her mouth to reply, but stopped. She wasn't sure whether or not to broach the topic.

"What is it?" Shepard said immediately.

The Commander's eyes were full of concern. Liara could hold back no longer. "Do you dream about Torfan?" she blurted out, before she could stop herself.

Shepard leaned back in her chair, surprise in her face. "You mentioned on Feros that you had read about it. How much do you know?"

"Only what everyone else knows. You were dropped into a battle you were ill-equipped to fight. You fought anyway, with great skill and no small measure of ferociousness. You came out victorious, but at a terrible cost."

Shepard's green eyes flicked upwards for a moment, before motioning to the empty seat with a tilt of the head. Liara took her meaning, and sat down. Shepard shifted her weight to get more comfortable.

"That's putting it mildly," said Shepard, "Why did you go looking?"

"There's a reason your government and the Council selected you to be the first human Spectre. You represent the best that humanity has to offer, your species' determination and drive to succeed. Your people are often thought of as bullies by the rest of the galaxy, as you roll over any obstacles with impunity to get what you want. But you can prove to everyone that this determination can also be used to protect them."

Liara's mouth snapped shut, leaving her own opinion unspoken for the moment. She watched as Shepard stared at her. The Spectre seemed unable to respond for a moment, distracted by her own thoughts.

"You didn't need to do anything, you could have just asked," the Commander said, "I'm not uncomfortable talking about it. Not anymore. I would have told you anything you wanted to know."

"I apologise Commander, I was afraid I'd say something stupid," explained Liara quickly, "I wanted to know more about you, to understand how you became the woman you are... There is something compelling about you, Shepard."

Shepard's eyebrows raised themselves in surprise at the frank declaration.

"Is it me or the Prothean tech downloaded into my head?" she inquired shortly.

"I admit, your connection to the people I have studied for most of my life was why I became interested in you to start with, but it has grown beyond that."

Shepard looked relieved, and Liara felt her confidence rise.

"You intrigue me, Shepard, but I was not sure if it was appropriate to act on my feelings," she added, lowering her tone to make sure there were no doubts about what she meant.

The Commander looked slightly starstruck for a moment, and Liara felt her gaze keenly. She started feeling warmer, beginning to realise the significance of what she had just said. Her heartbeat raced as Shepard gathered herself to respond. The moment of truth had arrived.

"You want to have a relationship with me?"

"I'm sorry if this makes you feel uncomfortable. I am aware that most humans consider the asari to be women, and such a relationship might not fit your preferences. I am only trying to be honest. I feel there is some attraction between us."

"You're right," said Shepard, without hesitation, "There is chemistry between us."

Liara's mind raced and soared. "I knew it!" she declared, "I knew you felt it too. I don't understand it, we have only known each other for a short while, we are very different people, but it feels right. It makes no sense."

Shepard smiled, before leaning forward and taking Liara's hands in her own. The asari began to worry that she'd feel the racing pulse through her skin, but did not resist.

"Try not to think too much about why," she replied, "Just let it happen. Life is too short to worry about it, even for an asari."

"I need some time, it's all so sudden" said Liara, letting her hands go, "But this is not why I am here, Shepard."

The Commander sat up, ready to listen.

Liara wondered how to proceed for a moment, before going with the direct approach. It had worked so far. "Have you been able to understand more of the beacon's data?" she asked.

Shepard shook her head. "I can see the images, but understanding what they mean is a problem. It just seems like slaughter to me, I don't understand why the Protheans would send this across the galaxy."

Liara took her chance. "If you would allow it, I would like to meld with you. I am an expert on the Protheans, perhaps I can make more sense of it."

Shepard sat still for a brief moment. The hesitation betrayed some nerves about the idea, but her face became resolute. "Do it," she commanded, "Anything that can help us stop Saren and the geth needs to be done."

Liara nodded, happy that she could help and hoping the nightmares would go away if she did so. She moved her seat closer. Her eyes raced over the human's features, before catching on the bright green of Shepard's own. She prepared her mind for what was to come, concentrating on nothing except the woman in front of her. She grasped the human's hands, holding them lightly.

"Relax your mind, Shepard, and think of the vision," she said softly, "Embrace eternity."

* * *

Liara opened her eyes and found herself in a dark space, walking forwards. The sound of her boots hitting metal confirmed that she was walking on some sort of platform at a quick pace. Confused for a moment, she realised she had entered Shepard's memories. She watched herself unholster a weapon as she came to a door. Whatever it was, it was strongly connected to the images from the Prothean beacon in Shepard's mind, and she suspected she knew how.

The door swung on its hinges, and the weapon tracked through the space beyond for targets. None could be found. Liara found herself looking over a huge room from a balcony in a warehouse of some kind. It was dimly lit, but what she saw made her want to leave Shepard's mind. The floor below was filled with cages. Inside these, dozens of humans stood or sat, dirty and clinging to the metal bars. Slowly, eyes began shifting upwards, homing in on the figure now watching from on high.

Liara had confirmed what she suspected. It was Torfan through Shepard's eyes.

Suddenly, as if the realisation had triggered it, she found herself climbing off the edge of the platform and jumping. Fear caught in her throat, despite the knowledge that it wasn't real. The freefall ended with her landing hard, but when she looked up, everything had changed.

It was no longer a dark warehouse, but a public square of some kind, overcast with clouds turned red and orange. Bipedal forms huddled around, their exact forms shrouded as if she was looking through fogged glass. Others lay on the ground in huge piles, completely still. Around them, guarding or watching, insect-like creatures hovered and twitched. Were these the Protheans and their destroyers? Liara couldn't be sure. Their bodies were barely corporeal, revealing nothing of their physiology.

A huge horn sounded through the sky, booming and shaking her to her very core. Panic set in for a moment, and she searched the horizon. Soon, she was overshadowed by the sight of a huge ship. It was nearly identical to Sovereign. It was not hovering or flying, but walking on huge legs. It strode through buildings and around skyscapers that looked eerily similar to those on Feros. In the distance, many more were landing from orbit, crashing to the ground onto their long articulated limbs. Liara her chest tightened and her throat swole up as she watched in abject horror.

The metal monstrosity soon stopped, as beams of green light began to strike it from the ground. Liara couldn't see who was firing on the giant ship, but she was not surprised when it shrugged off the attack with complete contempt. In response, red lights began glowing from its surface as it oriented itself towards the largest cluster of the beams. As they got brighter, her vision darkened again. The vision of the battle fought fifty thousand years ago faded.

As her sight returned, she could not look anywhere but herself as the slick feeling of warm liquid covered her in an instant. She found herself in Shepard's body again, encased in the N7 armour that was by now very familiar to her. It was saturated with blood. Shepard's attention soon shifted from her ichor-sticky gloves to the ground around her. Liara saw the bodies of dozens of batarians and humans intermingled in a forest clearing. The dead clutched weapons like they were precious, or had tried to stem wounds with their own hands before expiring. It had been a terrible fight.

A rumbling started and Shepard looked up. Armoured vehicles of all kinds were converging. The rest of the Alliance forces arrived. The Commander's eyes scanned the newcomers for a moment, before coming to rest on a flag on top of first vehicle. A black flag with a white and blue planet centred in the middle. Liara was surprised when she felt the relief that Shepard had felt on that day. The sight destroyed her dread and guilt instantly. The asari did not understand why, but did not have time to reflect on it.

The scene changed again, and she found herself in front of a window on a ship. The Citadel orbited in front of her, surrounded by its purple halo of reflected light. A huge space battle was being fought around it, as ships of an unknown origin fought more of Sovereign's kind. The former were losing badly, being torn apart literally as the latter collided with them and began to fire their weapons. Chatter in an alien language, most likely the Prothean tongue itself, started as the battle continued in front of her. Liara understood some of the words as though she had spoken them before. The Cipher had passed to her.

* * *

Liara awoke from the meld exhausted, returning to the Commander's quarters in an instant. She slumped back into her chair, dizzy with nausea. Melds for reading minds were taxing and unenjoyable, something Liara had anticipated, but she was unprepared for just how badly she felt. The message of the beacon, the insight into Shepard's darkest hour, and the physical process of the meld had come together to overwhelm. She shut her eyes and breathed deeply, eager for oxygen.

Shepard drew closer and put her hand on Liara's forehead.

"Are you okay?" she asked, "Just relax for a moment, you almost passed out just now."

Liara opened her eyes, and found the human's own locked on, wide with worry. She felt better almost instantly, and smiled weakly. "That was... incredible. All this time, I was correct... but I never dreamed I would actually be able to see the fall of the Protheans with my own eyes!"

Shepard gave her hand a gentle squeeze and then released it, breathing easier now.

Liara realised that she had been afraid, and felt slightly guilty. "I am sorry, it was just so vivid," she explained, "You must be remarkably strong-willed... what you have been through, what you have seen even before you touched the beacon, it would have destroyed a lesser mind."

"What exactly did you see?" Shepard asked, her curiosity rising in her tone.

Liara grimaced for a second. Should she admit to seeing Torfan?

"You were correct, the Reapers did destroy the Protheans. I saw them fighting on a planet and in space around the Citadel... It was horrible. However, the message is clearly incomplete. There is a warning about the Reapers, but it is something else as well. The beacon on Eden Prime must have been heavily damaged."

Shepard took in this news with a small sigh, before taking up her tablet again.

"So, unless we find another beacon, we're stuck," the Commander said, rubbing the back of her neck, "I was hoping we'd get more information for my report, something to prove that the Reapers are the real threat beyond some vague visions."

"That might be enough," said Liara. Shepard looked over the tablet at her, confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"If I can take the information from your mind, any asari can," Liara replied, "We can request that the Council have another Prothean expert meld with you, and they would see everything you want them to in an instant."

Shepard shifted her weight onto her side, clearly uncomfortable with the idea.

"I don't want to go through that again," she said, "I was willing because it was you asking, but with a stranger."

"I am glad to hear that you trust me to that extent," said Liara with every ounce of sincerity she could muster.

"Save a girl from krogan enough times, and trust builds up," smirked Shepard before she could continue, "Besides, you're cute."

"I will keep that in mind," Liara smiled, "Will you not consider what I said?"

"I'm not sure a meld will do any good," said Shepard, "I think the Council would prefer physical evidence."

"What about the Alliance?" Liara asked.

"So far, my superiors have been very supportive," Shepard replied, "But I'm not sure they actually believe that the Reapers are a real threat. They could have other motives for saying so."

"Like what?" said Liara.

"I don't know," said Shepard, eyeing her, "Anyway, it's getting late and I need to finish these reports."

The Commander got up, leaned over and placed a kiss on Liara's cheek. The lips were very soft, and a pleasant sensation spread from her face to the rest of her. The asari returned the gesture, threading her fingers with Shepard's own and kissing her on the lips quickly. The glowing feeling intensified. It was intoxicating. Liara decided that she needed to explore further, when there was time. The kiss ended as suddenly as it had began. The Commander sat down again, flicking her red hair back out of her face as she did so.

"Feel better?" Shepard asked cheekily.

"Very much so," replied Liara.

"Goodnight, Doctor T'soni."

* * *

"It is a pity you had to destroy this Thorian creature, study of it could have proven useful," said the salarian councillor, his hand on his chin in a thoughtful stance.

Shepard smiled politely. She knew that was coming the instant the Council had sent a message about her report on Feros. She had spent the better part of breakfast with Kaidan and Vakarian, both of whom were far better versed in the dark arts of the political world, strategising on how to respond to what would undoubtedly raise questions and comments. By the time she had finished eating, she had felt supremely confident. The preparations were now paying dividends, as the three leaders of the galactic community stood in red holographic form in front of her.

"Councillor, I don't think you would have wanted it alive," Shepard said coolly, "The Thorian isn't Prothean technology, and it isn't a sentient life form recognised by Citadel law. The Alliance would have the exclusive right to study it."

The turian councillor growled his disapproval. Shepard narrowed her eyes. She was beginning to suspect he was simply prejudiced against humans.

"I doubt you destroyed the creature to look after _our_ interests," he said, "I suspect you cared more about the human colonists it was controlling."

"That's right, I did care more about the colonists," said Shepard immediately, "Complain about that if you want, but destroying the Thorian was still in your interest."

Sparatus let out a sigh, folded his arms and looked away. She knew that simply being honest would defeat him, and a smile returned to her face.

"I would like to inquire about the health of the asari commando you captured," said Tevos, changing the subject in an attempt to spare her turian colleague another bad line.

"Shiala is resting comfortably aboard the Normandy, and we're bringing her back to the Citadel to be debriefed by Alliance intelligence," said Shepard, saying the lines as she had practiced, "Any small piece of information she might have might prove useful. She has expressed a wish to return to Feros to help the colonists afterwards, and the Alliance has already agreed to allow it."

Tevos seemed satisfied with the response, but turned to her salarian counterpart. Valern tilted his head, his eyes twitching with what Shepard assumed was anticipation.

"Which brings us neatly onto the subject of the Prothean knowledge she claims to have given you," said Valern, his tone close to mockery, "You say that with the help of Dr. T'soni, you were able to understand what the beacon on Eden Prime had placed in your mind."

Shepard kept her face as neutral as possible, restraining her exasperation at his dismissal of what she had now seen with her own eyes. Reminding herself that they hadn't seen it, she gave her response.

"Yes, the beacon contained a warning, a recording of the downfall of the Protheans themselves at the hands of the Reapers," said Shepard, "But it was incomplete."

"Yet more evidence of the so-called Reapers that we conveniently must take on your word alone," said Sparatus, "The geth might believe it, but I see no reason why any of us should."

Shepard grinned widely, unable to help herself. The more she had thought about Liara's idea, the more it made sense. Not to mention the possibility of having the Council eat their words was too good a chance to pass up. Vakarian had painted it as the perfect ploy against them when he heard about it. "Councillors, if you do not believe me, get another asari expert on the Protheans to meld with me," she said, "I will happily submit to it, and they'll confirm every word that I've said."

Her words set off an amusing chain reaction; Sparatus' jaw moved like he was chewing something. He hadn't anticipated such a proposal. While he got a hold of himself, Tevos and Valern gave each other a quick look.

"Commander, that may be possible," said the asari councillor, "It will take some time to organise however, given that the information it would provide would be of the highest interest to the Council."

"It would be considered classified as absolutely secret, so we need to find someone we can trust to extract it from you," said Valern matter-of-factly, "Which also means you're forbidden from sharing it with anyone except ourselves."

"And the Alliance?" asked Shepard, "I've already sent a report to them."

"They believed you from the start," said Sparatus, "We can hardly keep the evidence from them now, they didn't require it to start _another_ war."

"We didn't start the war, Saren and the geth did!" said Shepard, losing her cool now.

"We recognise that," said Tevos, with a reproving look to her turian counterpart, "At any rate, congratulations are in order. We look forward to seeing you bring down Saren soon."

The three holograms winked out of sight. Relieved that the meeting had done better than expected, Shepard made to leave. Until Joker spoke on the intercom from the bridge.

"Commander, it looks like all the bigshots are calling today, I've got Alliance High Command on a priority one communication," he said, "Guess they didn't want to wait any longer."

Shepard ruffled her hair for a moment in frustration. She had hoped to have a break before speaking to Command, and she was eager to start preparing for the search of the Armstrong Nebula. Resigning herself, she returned to the middle of the briefing room, in front of the projectors.

"Put them through, Joker," she said.

Four holograms blinked to life, one by one.


	23. Chapter 19: Ket'osh

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: This took a lot longer than I planned, but I got a good number of chapters of BF2157 and Wars of the Systems Alliance out for you guys in the meantime, so I hope you'll forgive me._

_Also, ME: Andromeda has been announced and I've been listening to Ghost Riders in the Sky by Johnny Cash constantly. The setting of the new game is pretty awesome for where I want to take humanity in these stories, so I guess there'll be a fiction to accompany that too. Looking forward to playing it._

_This chapter ends what I suppose you could call the first arc of the story. A bonus chapter will also go up tomorrow or the next day with some author's notes on Shepard, the SSV Athena and the ship names of the Alliance ship. As well as some codex entries. Because you boys and girls have been good._

_Pseudo41 asked in a review why the Alliance isn't using drones to fight. A good question considering they have during the batarian conflicts in this AU canon and use them in the standard canon. Simple answer is that the Alliance are afraid they'll be hacked, so the drones stay home. _

_Ket'osh, if you don't know, featured in the N7 HQ minigame for ME3's Galactic Readiness thing. _

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 19: Ket'osh**

"Anderson!" Shepard exclaimed, as the officer's image appeared, "You have no idea how good it is to see you, sir."

The former captain of the Normandy smiled warmly, and straightened his dress uniform. Which now had the stripes of his new rank, in a dull gold colour along his lapel. Shepard thought it suited him perfectly.

"Likewise, I heard it got bad down there," Anderson replied, "I hope your injuries are healing well."

"An asari commando tossed me like a rag-doll, sir," Shepard replied, rubbing her shoulder for faux-dramatic effect, "I'll live."

"Nothing you can't handle, I'm sure," Anderson laughed, "Just promise me you won't push your luck." Shepard opened her mouth to reply, but realised that she was holding up the meeting.

The other three participants had politely stood by as the exchange between mentor and protégée had occurred. The Commander looked them over for a moment. Alice Dennison had a wry smile on her face. She was evidently amused at what was happening. Alexander DeBankole on the other hand wore an expression of studied neutrality, a remarkably military trick. Both of the consuls' faces were utterly unreadable in their own way, increasing Shepard's embarrassment. The other person, inevitably, was General Haider. The intelligence chief was wearing armour and looked irritated at something. It was difficult to tell whether it was directed at the interruption of business, or simply a more general displeasure.

"My apologies, Consuls," Shepard said, pointedly ignoring Haider.

"That's quite alright, Commander," said deBankole, "I well understand the bond that soldiers can share, and given what you have accomplished, some leeway is forthcoming."

"We can't complain," added Dennison, "We have the geth cold now, thanks to your efforts."

Shepard breathed her relief and relaxed her pose ever so slightly. Pissing off the politicians had not been her intention, and she was glad that they were in a good mood.

"The Normandy is being assigned to my flotilla, Shepard," Anderson added, "The Armstrong Nebula is a huge region of space to search, but if the geth are out there, we'll find them."

The Commander grinned, eager to get started on just that. As well as shoving her omniblade through Saren's chest. That was going to be enjoyable.

"You'll join the effort after you've taken some leave," said Dennison, "Your victory on Feros was a PR coup for us, having you out in the middle of nowhere so soon wouldn't be the best use for you. Besides, Anderson's ships can look for the geth just as effectively without you."

Shepard clenched her fists, not quite sure she believed what she was hearing. "With respect Consul, I'd rather get right to it," she said as politely as she could.

"Commander, we're fighting geth on the ground on seventeen colonies, including on Eden Prime ... the geth still haven't been rooted out of the mountains," DeBankole said, "Seeing you walking after the hard fighting on Feros will do the public and our troops a world of good. Anger at being attacked can only sustain morale for so long, and you need time to recover anyway."

Hoping to receive some help from her friend, she glanced at Anderson. The man caught the look.

"I agree with the consuls, Shepard," he said, "Besides, you could use the time to get your crew and ship back to condition. Bring the others up to speed on N7 insertion tactics, and get the Normandy into port for some maintenance."

"I don't think giving Citadel gossip columns more inches is worth our time, sir," she said, falling back on humour to cover her disappointment. It didn't fool Anderson for a second.

"Admiral Hackett can give you smaller assignments to ease you back in, if you insist on action. Don't worry, you'll be back to the real fight soon enough," he reassured her, "But the geth aren't going to be found quickly."

Shepard nodded once, conceding the point. She remembered the details. The Armstrong Nebula was a large region of space, with hundreds of systems to hide in separated by fairly daunting distances. Cutting it off from the rest of the galaxy was easy enough, there was only one relay, but it could take months to find the geth base. Particularly if they weren't lucky, and lucky was the last thing Shepard considered herself to be.

"Well, now that's settled, we need to talk about what exactly happened on Feros," said Haider, cutting in sharply, "Particularly with this Thorian creature."

The Commander bristled. "If you're talking about destroying the creature, I had no choice."

"No, I understand why you had to do that," said Haider, "The corruption of our colonists was unacceptable, and as for Exogeni, I have … dealt with it."

Shepard's eyebrow raised. She had hoped that the Alliance would do something about the corporation, but she had believed it was a slim chance of anything substantial. Corporate abuses didn't exactly provoke hardline military responses. Ever.

"What did you find?" she asked, as she realised that Haider was in full combat gear for a reason.

The General sighed. "They won't be doing much ever again, everyone we found we've placed under military authority, but the place was cleaned out by the time we got there. None of the upper management, no intel," she said, the irritation creeping into her voice, "The CEO was gone too. His desk was empty, his computers wiped. Only thing I found in his office was this."

Haider held up a small sculpture. It was a three-headed dog, with a snake for a tail, on top of a pedestal flanked with swords. It was hard to tell via a hologram, but it looked like it had been carved out of stone. Shepard stared, not sure what it meant.

"I was hoping you would have more information on private Exogeni facilities," continued Haider, "It seems the databanks on Feros were remotely wiped soon after you accessed them. I need to know where their leaders are hiding."

Shepard glanced at the sculpture again, wondering what its secret was. It was actually a pretty little piece, something she herself might have on her desk. Haider caught the look, and put the curious thing away quickly.

"Nothing for you to be concerned about, Commander," the Major-General said, anticipating the question, "The data, if you please."

Shepard shook herself from her thoughts, and mustered a polite nod of her own. "Of course, ma'am, We have scans of krogan to send to you, I'll include what we got from the Exogeni databanks as well."

"Krogan?" asked Dennison, "What do the krogan have to do with this?"

"There were more of Saren's krogan mercenaries on Feros," replied Haider, "We're still trying to discover what group they're from and where they're hiding. Shepard's data might actually be of some use there."

The consuls nodded, but looked troubled by the news. Anderson even more so. Shepard sympathised. The enemy having access to squads of living tanks wasn't a thing to be taken lightly. At least she had Wrex. She watched Haider fiddle with her omnitool for a moment, before speaking.

"I have something else to report," said Shepard, "I have asked the Council to provide another asari expert on the Protheans, so they can confirm the visions I've had. If we're lucky, they might help us once they see the evidence of the Reapers' existence."

The two consuls looked at each other, as if they weren't sure what to make of the idea. Shepard felt she might have done wrong by not informing her commanders first, and attempted to explain.

"The Council need to know what I've seen is real," she continued, "Or else they'll take no steps to stop whatever it is Saren is planning. We can't do this alone."

Shepard shut her mouth, and awaited the response. The consuls said nothing, and Anderson looked positively awkward, clearly not sure of what to say. She realised she had put her old captain in a tight bind, as he couldn't speak out in front of humanity's leaders as easily as he could in front of Ambassador Udina. Feeling a little guilty, it was the bitch of all people who spoke out.

"You're right, Shepard," said Haider, aiming her speech at her superiors, "The Council thought we were utterly mad to start this war, and wild talk about apocalyptic monsters come back to destroy us has hardly helped. We bought some respect with the turians for going to war, then lost it the moment we mentioned the Reapers. The asari think we're being fooled by Saren. The salarians are reserving judgment until the evidence comes in, and judge us for not doing the same. Proving they're real will help us."

Shepard was shocked; Karla Haider had defended her. She didn't think she could forgive the general for her kidnapping a member of her crew, perhaps someone more than that, but the spook was well on the way to earning it. Looking on Haider with a new sense of respect, the Commander almost didn't notice when Dennison scoffed loudly.

"The Council were never going to help us, it's not what they do," she said, waving her hand dismissively, "We have Udina pressuring them, playing every angle we can. If that manipulative bastard can't get them to move, no one can. Even if they did believe, they would do nothing or as close to it as possible. I'm not even sure myself if these Reapers are real, and frankly I don't care. The geth are a very real threat, their motivations don't matter as much as stopping them."

"It is safer to assume the Reapers are real, for our purposes," said DeBankole to his co-consul, "General Haider is convinced they exist, and I trust her judgment on this. As should you."

Dennison returned her attention to Shepard. The N7 straightened up on instinct, as the gaze swung her way.

"I'm being ganged up on by my two closest confidants," she said flatly with a smile on her lips, "When they get like this, it is best to surrender. I'm glad we could talk Commander, but I'm afraid I have business elsewhere. I hope you'll forgive me."

"Of course, Your Excellency," replied Shepard, amused by the gesture of one of her supreme commanders apologising to a subordinate in such a way.

"Commander, good luck," DeBankole said, "I wish you the best in your endeavours."

The holograms of the Consuls fizzled away, leaving only Anderson and Haider. Shepard felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders now that the two most powerful people in the Alliance weren't examining her every move. She was no stranger to the political elite. They had swarmed her after her part in the war against the batarians, even the consuls, but there was always something unsettling about talking to them almost casually. They had the weight of twenty billion people on their shoulders, more if you counted the billions of others they could kill with a single command, yet they remained undeniably human.

"Shepard, things are going to get uglier before they get better, but keep your spirits up, you're one of the best," said Anderson, "I have to go as well, the rest of the fleet just arrived."

"Stay alive, sir," she replied , finding herself cheered up.

The Group-Captain's image disappeared, leaving only the armour-clad spymaster. Haider eyed Shepard for a moment, a look on her face like she wanted to say something. The Commander's curiosity began rising again, this time Haider's own combat ability as the subject. The Major-General wasn't exactly formidable looking, although that never stopped anyone in Shepard's experience. Finally, the woman spoke.

"How is Dr. T'soni?" she asked, "I hope she wasn't too shaken up by our previous encounter."

Shepard felt a bubble of anger rise in her throat, unsure if the concern was genuine.

"She's fine," she said quickly, "It wasn't a problem."

Haider nodded, pursing her lips . "Good, my intention was not to do harm. She is going to be important for the coming war."

"How is the war going?" said Shepard, deflecting the subject. She wasn't in the mood to discuss Liara. Especially not with Haider. Not to mention that hearing a progress report from the liaison to the consuls would be more reliable than getting one from the tabloids. She needed to know she wasn't going to be sitting while the .

The Major-General shifted her weight as she considered the question.

"It's a stalemate, and we're still fighting on our own soil. Enemy ships simply flee before they're attacked, but they're never caught before they deliver troops to the ground. The geth are excellent at ambush tactics. They don't breath, they don't eat, and they can sit in a position for days without so much as a twitch. They can hide indefinitely, which means we've had to clear out some areas three or four times to make them safe, and even then we don't know if we've done it thoroughly enough. Eden Prime has been the worst. They scoured the colony for more Prothean artefacts, problem is that most of the settlements are built on top of Prothean sites. A good place to put a town fifty thousand years ago is usually still a good place to put it now, apparently."

Shepard frowned. She wasn't surprised at any of it, but it was still sad to hear. Ever more colonists dead or homeless because of the machines. And it was all Saren's fault.

"There is some good news," added Haider, "The Navy is about to go on the attack. That's why Anderson had to leave. The Fifth Fleet is mobilising."

* * *

The formations of ships orbited the orange-yellow gas giant in fine order. Each frigate group, cruiser picket and combat air patrol were positioned to cover each other, their hulls pointed outwards at the most likely areas of approach. The holographic and two-dimensional representations of the ships glowed a soft blue on the CIC, forming a chain around the planet. The _Athena_ was dead centre of the protective bubble of ships, alongside her sister carrier _Valkyria_ and the venerable carrier _Macha_. At a lower, geostationary orbit, the wreckage of a geth fuel station twisted and spun, blown to smithereens an hour earlier with the arrival of the fleet.

Hannah Shepard watched this with quiet satisfaction, sitting back in her chair and taking in the sights. The war was raging, but the time to strike back had come at last. The Fifth Fleet had been dispatched to seize a key system. High Command had gotten very excited about the possibility of taking the Ket'osh Sensor Array from the geth. The briefing had said it was a huge facility for the gathering and analysis of data, beamed from all over the border systems between the Attican Traverse and the Terminus Systems. If the equipment could be taken intact, they could build an unbreakable curtain between human space and the geth. The killing of human colonists could be stopped, and the killing of geth en masse could start. Or so Hannah hoped.

Ket'osh itself was a former quarian colony, the last to fall during the geth uprising that killed all but a few million of the quarian species. It hung near the star, some seventy or so light-minutes from their current position. It was the only other planet in the system, the gas giant KG348 its only partner. At first, Hannah had thought it was somewhat of an impersonal name for a gas giant in an important system, but the original quarian name was entirely incapable of being pronounced. As she watched the eternal storms on its surface, her thoughts wandered again in the direction of naming the entity.

"The fleet has finally deployed their FTL buoys, and comma with the invasion forces are established, Captain," reported XO Corrigan, standing to attention beside Hannah's chair, "The Admiral is waiting."

The commander of the vessel regarded her second coolly, as her thoughts returned to the situation at hand. Mikhailovich was worthy of her full attention, as he was a grouchy one at the best of times. Promotion had not improved his demeanour. Hannah had known the man since just after the First Contact War, when he was just a commander of a frigate. He was always soft on her, despite his hard attitude to pretty much everyone else. She had always found the latter aspect tiresome.

"Excellent, patch me through," Hannah said, straightening her uniform as she rose from her seat, "I'll take the call in the communications room."

"Aye, ma'am," replied Corrigan, moving to the comms station.

Hannah sighed and walked past saluting ensigns to take the call. Her insufferable superior was waiting. She paced quickly down the hall. The guards parted ways with a snap of their heels, their assault rifles shouldered, and allowed her entry.

The Admiral was waiting patiently, along with all the Group-Captains in orbit of the gas giant. Most familiar to her was Anderson, now commanding Mikhailovich's former 63rd Scout Flotilla, made up of frigate wolfpacks. Her history with him stretched all the way back to the start of her career, and she was glad to have him along for this mission. There was also Captain Singh, commanding officer of the Valkyria Expeditionary Group, another new promotion with good prospects to make even higher rank in the future. She was more akin to a rival than a friend, but Hannah respected her competence if not her more cautious approach to naval action.

"I'll cut to the chase," the Admiral said sternly, "We have reports from all over the sector of large movements of..."

The transmission began to fizzle, and the man's hologram disappeared. The others remained, their faces telling that they were as confused as Hannah was at the sudden interruption.

"Corrigan, status on FTL-comms!" Hannah commanded quickly.

"No problem on our end, the comm-buoys on the other end were destroyed," Corrigan reported, panic in her voice, "Sensor data streamed at the last second, you're going to want to see it yourself, ma'am."

Hannah turned to Anderson and Singh.

"Keep this channel open," she said. After a pair of nods from both of her colleagues, she ran out of the room, past the guards and back down the corridor to the bridge. The doors slid open, and she found the room in chaos, officers paced back and forth between consoles, trying to confirm data.

"Corrigan, report," Hannah said after reaching her chair.

"Replay the last burst again," the XO ordered, pointing at the holographic display. A tech tapped on his haptic interface for a moment, furiously carrying out the command.

The image changed from KG348 to Ket'osh itself. The rest of the Fifth Fleet appeared in orbit, as expected. For a minute or so, everything looked fine. The planetary assault forces deployed cleanly, N7 icons travelling from cruisers to the planet's surface. The fleet's formation was good for a defensive posture, preventing any alpha strike manoeuvre to eliminate the key threat, namely the SSV _Mars_, the flagship dreadnought. Hannah watched for what she feared had happened. As it turned out, it was worse.

In seconds, hundreds of geth ships jumped into orbit. It was difficult to say how many. At least as many as the Fifth Fleet had in total. Frigates and cruisers. That was the part she expected. What she hadn't expected was the geth monstrosity that jumped right on top of the _Mars_, a dreadnought about a third again as large as its target. It was the perfect firing position. The geth vessel had its main battery lined up on the flagship's side immediately. The firing started, the whole orbit of the planet lit up with heat signatures as engines started manoeuvring and guns began firing. The image went dark, as the data stream was interrupted.

Hannah knew that could only mean one thing. The FTL comm buoys were destroyed early on, she had seen that. The backup capability was on board the _Mars_. The dreadnought was either destroyed or crippled. A deep sadness fell over her for a second, as she realised that meant Mikhailovich was likely dead. The sadness quickly turned to anger.

"Action stations! Air Wing, get three shuttles in the air now!" she commanded, "We need a live feed of the action ASAP!"

The red ambient lighting indicating combat imminent lit up as the bridge crew secured themselves to their seats in preparation for turning off the artificial gravity. The Air Wing Officer didn't bother acknowledging the order, relaying it with a couple of taps on his console. Hannah watched the shuttles launch on the external cameras and fall into formation alongside the _Athena_. The CAP soon moved to join them. Visibly grim faces painted with concentration spread to everyone in the room.

"Anderson, Singh, did you see that last minute of data?" Hannah asked, directing her question at the comms console in front of her.

"Looks like the entire geth expeditionary force," said Anderson, "Possibly up to eight hundred ships, led by a dreadnought. Thank God it wasn't Sovereign."

"And that dreadnought... if the _Mars_ is destroyed, who is in command of our forces here?" Singh asked.

"I am," said Hannah firmly, "I have seniority over both of you."

"You got your commission the day before me, that hardly qualifies," said Singh, "We should withdraw and notify the Alliance."

"Withdraw? Those are our people out there!" said Anderson, "I'll attack alone if I have to, I'm not leaving them to die."

Singh began a tirade about preserving forces that would not shift the tide of battle even if they were deployed, but Anderson held his line. The two were on the cusp of a serious argument, barely keeping their language civil as they talked. Their voices strained, as both passionately argued their case.

Hannah listened, split between the two officers, unsure which was right at first. However, as it continued, she realised that neither were seeing the big picture. The fleet had been dispatched to take a planet, but now that the enemy had engaged seemingly with his full strength, the political ramifications of what played out would be massive. If they withdrew, it would mean absolute political defeat, no matter how much tactical sense it made. Hannah knew that Ket'osh was due to be handed over to the quarians as soon as it was liberated, failure would mean the end of all hope for a human-quarian coalition against the geth. Anderson's proposal was tactically unsound. Sure, they would all die gloriously, probably taking down multiples of the enemy with them, but the loss of an entire fleet would be an equally devastating blow to humanity.

As Hannah pondered what to do, the shuttles dispatched to restore sensor data reached their destination. The hologram returned to life. They had been right; the Mars was destroyed, floating in three pieces where it had been whole minutes before. The rest of the cruisers and frigates had formed into defensive spheres at varying orbits, fighting off swarms of the geth enemy. The geth had also cut off the relays, the heaviest concentration away from the battle sat directly around the relay to friendly space. The huge enemy dreadnought loomed over the nearest Alliance cluster, pounding away with its massive accelerator.

Horrible, as the Captain had expected, but the chaos of battle sparked an idea. She stood up, looking at the images of the battle, scanning the movements and clashes. The idea turned into a plan.

"We will not withdraw, and we will not charge to our deaths," said Hannah, cutting off Singh mid-sentence, "By military law, I am in command of this force. Captains, if you want to see the nasty side of a wartime court martial, you'll continue your discussion."

Silence reigned for a moment. Hannah breathed her relief. She wasn't sure if that would work, but she needed time to explain her plan.

"Good, now that we've settled that, this is how we'll deploy."

Hannah activated her tactical screen, and began placing flotillas. She placed the icons representing _Valkyria_ and _Macha_ in a high orbit just within the gravitational field of Ket'osh, far from the fighting, and marked their fighter squadrons off into attack positions. Alongside them, she placed the gun cruisers, and behind, the escort carriers.

"Singh, your carriers will deploy far out and draw off as much of the enemy as possible, with your cruisers in support. The geth seem to want to get to grips with our forces in close, so turn that space into a killing zone. Order your frigates to range at will, my wolfpacks will support you."

"Where do I put my flotilla?" asked Anderson.

Hannah stacked the entire 63rd Scout Flotilla onto her controls, more than four dozen frigates and heavy frigates, and moved them to the secondary relay. Straight into an enemy defensive formation, guarding the way to the Terminus Systems.

"You're to get the hell out of here, secure an escape route and inform the Alliance that we have engaged in battle with the entirety of the known enemy expeditionary forces," said Hannah, "Singh is right about one thing, we've been cut off from High Command here, we need to update them on what has happened and we need reinforcements. That's your job."

"Shepard, I..." Anderson began to protest.

"David, I've known you for twenty six years," said Hannah, crushing the objection before it could be spoken, "You fail, we all die. Go get us the help we need."

"I understand," said Anderson, conceding, "Just promise me you'll give the geth hell."

"That's the plan," Hannah replied, grateful for the man's trust. She hoped from the bottom of her heart that he would get out safe, overwhelming her for a moment. He was an irreplaceable friend.

"Where will you be?" asked Singh.

Snapping back to the matter at hand, Hannah selected her own ship and its escorts, and moved the screen to the enemy dreadnought's position. Wordlessly, she placed the _Athena_ itself just outside of GARDIAN range at the enemy's rear in a broadside position. She arranged the cruisers in attack position on nearby enemy clusters.

"Straight into the enemy formation?" Singh said flatly, "Are you suicidal?"

"Not yet," replied Hannah, "The _Athena_'s broadside can outshoot any other ship in the galaxy at that range, and the dreadnought will have to turn entirely around before it can use its main battery. We can manoeuvre to keep the big gun off of us for longer if necessary."

"You'll take fire from the rest of the geth fleet," said Anderson, "Once they realise that the dreadnought is threatened, they'll abandon everything to stop you."

"I hope they do, because then the rest of the fleet can rally on the _Valkyria_'s position and hold the line," Hannah said, "With a single solid formation, we might be able to beat them or at least retreat with our forces intact."

"At the cost of your carrier," said Singh, "Like I said, it's suicide."

"We'll retreat once we've crippled or destroyed the target," said Hannah firmly, "If we fight in a conventional way, that dreadnought could simply blow away each of our carriers one by one while the geth fighters stop our own from counterattacking effectively in time. This is the only way. You have your orders."

Singh acknowledged with some reluctance, and cut her direct channel. Hannah wondered what her colleague would report when the battle was over and the smoke cleared, but she was in the right where the law was concerned at least. It didn't mean she wanted to jump in front of a naval board of inquiry either, though.

"The 63rd are going to move out, Shepard," said Anderson, "I hope your plan works."

"It should," said Hannah, "If it doesn't, take care of Jane for me."

Anderson chuckled.

"Isn't that what I've already been doing?" he joked.

"Good luck," said Hannah, appreciating the man's indominable humour in the face of adversity.

Anderson's commlink died. The frigates of the 63rd began moving off from the rest of the formation, transitioning to a higher orbit and gathering to attack the relay. It would be a hard fight, but it should be a victory with few losses. After which Anderson could make contact with Space Command Terra to get reinforcements.

Or so Hannah hoped.

It would still be hours before any real help would show up. Maybe even days. It would be a desperate fight across the star cluster and that was the best case scenario, in other words.

Hannah took a breath, and began.

"Secure ship for combat! Recover the combat air patrol and close the landing decks! Relay FTL jump coordinates! All gunnery stations, prepare for target acquisition and firing!"

"Aye, Captain!" came the reply.

A moment later, Hannah felt her weight disappear. The bridge's gravity was turned off to cut excess heat, along with other non-essential systems. The light feeling was extremely familiar to any veteran of space combat. It was the sign that a serious battle was about to be fought. A friend once joked to her that unlike any other weight loss method, slimming down in this manner was the first step into your grave. An unfunny gallows joke that Hannah hoped would not come back to haunt her now.

The _Athena_ began manoeuvring to jump, the icon floating in the air indicating that the others were following.

"Torpedo tubes loaded, gunnery stations standing by, air wing reports all squadrons ready for launch, countermeasures ready, damage control teams standing by," said Corrigan quickly, sounding off the reports as they came in, "All stations are go, ma'am."

Hannah nodded, and took a deep breath. There was only one thing left to do.

"Comms, give me fleet-wide," she said.

The hologram added a web of comms contacts to its glowing representation of the fleet's changing formation, with every ship receiving a line to Hannah's ship. With no time for grandiose speeches, she decided to keep it simple.

"This is Athena Actual, commanding. Good luck, and Godspeed."

The manoeuvring finished, and the signal to jump was issued.

* * *

The _Athena_ arrived behind the geth dreadnought, turned its guns and fired.

The broadsides opened up simultaneously and immediately, rocking the ship slightly with the even pattern of shots. The shots streaked towards the enemy, following it like an angry swarm of bees and caught the huge vessel cleanly in the rear. The main batteries continued firing as the turrets joined in, the gatling cannons spitting a continuous stream of slugs. There was no small amount of debris around, but the Athena still had a relatively clear firing lane.

The Captain watched the hologram, the sensors indicating hundreds of hits and hundreds of kinetic barrier discharges. Against the sort of firepower now being thrown against it, the dreadnought's barriers would not last long. It was huge, about a third again as large as the largest Alliance dreadnought, but the _Athena _was larger still. In a broadside-to-broadside fight, she could outgun anything. Hannah began to hope. The geth had been taken completely by surprise. In their eagerness to destroy the enemy, they had overlooked the carriers. She would make them pay for that mistake.

She looked to the rest of the fleet. The _Valkyria_ and _Macha_ had taken up station with the escort carriers as ordered, and their fighter squadrons had launched. Geth frigates and cruisers were on an intercept course, but Hannah could tell already that they would be mincemeat. They were a delaying force, more likely than not. Her attention returned to the dreadnought, as the firing continued. It was turning as expected, trying to bring that huge spinal gun to bear.

"Enemy manoeuvring for firing solution," reported the Navigation officer, "Twenty four cruisers are also leaving their attacks on nearby clusters and are bearing down on our position."

Hannah grimaced. Singh had not been mistaken in her assessment, but she had thought it would take longer for the geth to understand their predicament. She had underestimated them, but would not make the same mistake twice. Time to go all-in.

"Launch fighters," Hannah commanded, "Begin attack runs on that dreadnought!"

The acknowledgements were loud as the first eighty fighters spat out of their launchers, and formed up. They began moving to track the dreadnought's rear, where its point defences were weakest, now that its full attention was on the _Athena_ itself.

"Red and Blue squadrons are away," reported Corrigan, "Launchers are readying for the Gold and Silver."

Hannah nodded, watching the real time sensor data. The attention she had drawn from the enemy cruisers had began to tell. The nearest clusters of Alliance ships began to break out of their orbits and were making their way to Singh's battle line at FTL. For a moment, she felt like cheering. Her strategy was working. Or at least she thought it was, until she saw that the geth dreadnought had stopped turning and seemed to be shuddering slightly.

"What is the primary doing?" Hannah asked.

"They're deforming their orbit to decrease their range!" said Corrigan, panic creeping into her voice, "We will be within their GARDIAN range in thirty seconds. Gold and Silver squadrons just got away, but we'll be unable to launch the rest once we're in range."

"That's not why they're doing it," said Hannah.

The geth had more than likely realised, or calculated, that they weren't going to be able to put their main gun onto the _Athena_ at this range. Not before her barrage broke their shields. They undoubtedly thought that their cruisers would be unable to finish the job either. The geth had one particular advantage over the Alliance Navy in naval technology. It fit the geth mindset perfectly to rely on it, Hannah realised. Their GARDIAN batteries were ultraviolet-based as opposed to infrared, giving them a considerable range boost. Their target wouldn't be the fighters, they would attack the _Athena _itself. Her captain lamented at the prospect.

"They're going to shoot at us," said Hannah calmly, "Deploy decoys and get the rest of the fighters in the air. Now."

"Aye, ma'am!"

The first laser hits impacted the ship, flash-boiling away sections of the ablative armour. The areas hit blinked an angry red on the ship status hologram.

"We've lost turrets 19 and 20!" reported the gunnery officer, "No casualties, but their barrels were struck."

"Ablatives are holding, for now. Red and Blue squadrons have a firing solution," said Corrigan, "Torpedoes away."

Hannah shifted her attention to the cluster of icons hovering above the dreadnought. They birthed smaller ones that made their way quickly towards the enemy in a formation of their own. Some of the contacts disappeared before reaching them, maybe as much as half. It didn't matter. The remainder slammed right into the target. The dreadnought's holographic representation frayed a little near the rear.

"Sensors are showing good effect on target," said Corrigan, "Three enemy engines hit, and multiple hull breaches on its port side. Red and Blue are withdrawing to defensive positions."

Hannah acknowledged this, but said nothing more. She doubted the geth needed air in their ships away, making a hull breach a small concern. The attack had failed to stop the point defences firing at her ship, and the geth didn't need to manoeuvre so much anyway, they had her cold. If she moved, she risked failing to destroy the enemy ship. The enemy cruisers were now in position, and they began firing, joining their command and control vessel in attempting to destroy their attacker.

"Green Squadron is away, and barriers are holding," reported Corrigan, "But our ablatives are starting to come apart on our starboard side."

The damage warnings were creeping closer to the flight decks. Hannah looked at the dreadnought again, and saw that it had still not taken damage from the stream of rounds poured onto it from the _Athena's _main batteries. The ship was going to take some serious scars from this fight, she could smell it.

"Evacuate the starboard flight deck and secure munitions," she said.

Another salvo of laser hits rippled along the side of the ship, thankfully away from the sections damaged already. Half the ship was displayed in red now. The heat decoys were making it difficult for the enemy to make pinpoint shots, Hannah guessed. She watched the fighter squadrons get clear of the carnage. They were gathering up closer to the planet. When ready, they could cripple the dreadnought. If they could hit the right spot. A smile began to spread on her face.

"Starboard flight deck compromised!" the damage control officer reported, predictably, "The starboard landing deck and most of the starboard launchers are also unsafe. Teams are moving to assess the damage."

"Do we know where the heat management system of the dreadnought is located?" asked Hannah, as she watched the temperature of the room rise.

Corrigan tapped on her screen for a moment, bringing up sensory readings of the large ship. After a minute's searching, she pointed at the hump near the back of the lower part on the ship.

"If I had to guess, I would say there," said the XO firmly, "The tiger-stripes lead from that point."

"Very well, Commander," said Hannah, trusting her second's instincts, "Pass the information to Gold, Silver and Green squadrons. Order them to attack immediately."

The command was passed on with enthusiasm. The fighters' icons began moving aggressively into attack position above the dreadnought. By now, most of the attention of the geth was turning towards the _Athena_ and its escorts, as more and more of the Alliance ships escaped by the minute. Only about one hundred and fifty human vessels remained in the lower orbit of the planet, facing off against as many as four times that number. Many of these were crippled, Hannah noticed, as IFFs for escape pods streamed towards Ket'osh itself. She prayed the crews landed safely. The geth were efficient, disabling vessels and then moving on to the next target rather than going for the kill.

At last, the fighters fired their torpedoes. Hundreds of them, blasting towards the dreadnought from their launchers and accelerator. Three squadrons' worth of ordnance. Time seemed to slow, as Hannah tracked them with her eyes on the hologram. The geth dreadnought ceased firing on the _Athena._ She barely registered the fact. The torpedoes crept closer and closer. Some vanished from the screen, hit by the geth GARDIAN batteries. Breathing became difficult.

The rest bypassed the geth's shields, and detonated along the dreadnought's back in a wave from front to back.

Hannah inhaled air greedily, as a cheer went up from every station on the bridge. They had done it. The insect-like shape of the target was now ragged, parts of its hull rendered jagged by the gravitational disruptions caused by the torpedo hits. It was a beautiful sight. Hannah felt satisfied. She had avenged the crew of the _Mars_. Mikhailovich included.

"Sensors report that the enemy's heat dispersion system is destroyed," said Corrigan, "The target's barriers are failing."

"Destroy it," said Hannah firmly, "Send the geth a message."

The broadside firepower of the _Athena _started to impact the enemy hull, breaking it up as the sheer force of the shots smashed the ship to pieces. Finally, a direct hit to the reactor core blew the maimed vessel into a bloom of shards, falling from orbit into the atmosphere below. A spectacular fireworks display to celebrate a victory, Hannah thought cheerfully. The explosion was visible even on the external forward cameras.

"Ma'am, the entire enemy fleet is redirecting to us," said Corrigan.

Hannah bit her lip. Time to get the hell out of there.

"Slingshot around the planet, tell our escorts and fighters to follow," she said, "When we're in position, FTL to the _Valkyria_'s battle line."

"Aye, ma'am."

The ship's engines started, and the carrier began moving under its own power again.

* * *

"How bad is the damage?" asked Singh, "Can you still fight?"

Hannah frowned at the question, and rubbed her temples. The _Athena_ had made it to the rest of the fleet with little trouble, but the geth still had the advantage even without their dreadnought. The Fifth Fleet had lost over a hundred vessels, though thankfully the human losses remained low. For the moment. To make matters worse, all the other group-captains were either dead or stranded on Ket'osh in their escape pods. Again, the geth's efficiency had played its part. Hannah found herself in command of over four hundred and fifty ships, ten times the number she had commanded mere hours before.

"We've lost half of our launch and recovery capacity, and two of our starboard batteries," said Hannah, "The entire starboard side's ablatives are spent. It'll take a month in dock to fix any of it, longer if we can't get to a station."

"You destroyed the dreadnought, and it's better than being dead on a floating wreck," remarked Singh almost casually, "The geth are rallying out there. Orders?"

"Stand our ground," said Hannah, "The geth attacked first, they must be near the end of their operational capability. Much more of this, and they won't be able to fight. They know that, so they'll throw themselves at us with everything they've got. If we can hold out just long enough, they'll have to retreat to discharge their drives and cool off their weapons."

Singh was quiet.

"It's a good bet that they have better FTL computers and systems than we do, if we run, they'll intercept us at the relay and destroy us from the rear," Hannah added, trying to explain herself, "Besides, we have a lot of personnel on the planet now. Can't leave them, they have intel that can't be allowed to fall into enemy hands."

"Very well," said Singh.

"Ma'am, the geth are approaching en masse into attack range," said Corrigan.

"Have the wolfpacks pull away from the main formation," Hannah ordered, "Everyone else, stand-to and prepare to receive the enemy."

The hologram blinked another warning, catching the attention of half the officers in the room. The geth began to approach in force, advancing using a moon as cover before cresting around it and entering its orbit. The coordination of the enemy was exact, in a way only synthetics could accomplish. They circularised their orbit of the moon quickly, and as one, began firing again. Hannah watched them, her trepidation growing. The Alliance fleet retaliated in kind, torpedo barrages and mass accelerators firing off into the geth formation.

"How long until our first squadrons are away again?" asked Hannah.

"Three minutes," replied Corrigan, "After that, another fifteen."

The Captain cursed. She needed more fighters out there if they were going to win. The others were making good runs on the enemy from range, attacking from unexpected angles. It was the only thing dealing real damage at the necessary rate. The geth had lost hundreds of ships of their own, but still had almost seven hundred left to throw around. The weight of numbers was telling its tale, as it had before she arrived to the battle. The geth were targeting ships with multiples of their own. They were scything through the Alliance line piece by piece. It would take a long time to destroy the entire fleet in this way, but Hannah doubted that was their plan.

"We've just lost _Kolkata_, _Sao Paolo_ and _Tehran_."

Hannah swung her head to check the positions of those ships. They were directly in front of her own carrier. She had a terrible premonition. She changed the perspective of the hologram to check her theory. Sure enough, the cruisers in front of the _Valkyria_ and _Macha_ were taking heavier fire than those in the middle of the formation.

"They're trying to clear a path to the carriers," said Hannah to Singh, "Probably to take out command and control, like they did with the rest of the fleet and the _Mars._"

"We could move more of the cruisers," suggested Singh, "Use a tighter defensive formation."

"No, they want that," replied Hannah, "Mikhailovich tried it. They swarmed and surrounded each cluster, cutting off support."

"Then what do we do?"

Hannah looked at the battle again, weighing what she had learned about the enemy at a rapid pace. The geth would accomplish their goal. It would come as soon as they thought they could unleash a strong push into her formation. When they were sure they wouldn't get carved to pieces by broadside and GARDIAN fire. Fighters seemed to be the only thing they were particularly vulnerable to, and only if they fired from outside the range of the geth's point defences.

"Red and Blue Squadrons are away again," said Corrigan, interrupting her train of thought, "Vectoring onto enemy group 4."

Hannah flinched. The report had given her an idea. "XO, you are a genius," she muttered, "Belay that order to Red and Blue, have them take up station behind us and await orders."

Corrigan turned in her chair and raised an eyebrow, before returning to her work with a small smile on her face. Hannah dialled in a few more of the acting-commanders, and explained her final plan as quickly as she could. Once that was complete, she returned her attention to the bridge crew.

"Helm, take the ship forward," she said, "Put us in front of the formation."

"Aye, Captain," said a bewildered flight lieutenant. Hannah smirked. She knew that feeling well.

The _Athena _and the _Valkyria_ moved out from the battle lines, through the close ranks of their escorting cruisers and frigates. Once clear of the formation, they turned, pointing their broadsides to the enemy and began firing. Hannah was careful to order that the starboard side be turned away from the firing, for the obvious reasons.

"Alright, you tin bastards... I've given you what you want..." said Hannah to herself, "Your turn."

The geth began firing on the _Athena. _The shots were numerous, and the ship began to shake when multiple strikes impacted at the same time. Hannah was glad for the straps in her seat.

"Barriers at 94% and dropping."

Hannah exhaled slowly through pursed lips. The _Athena_ was perhaps the best protected vessel in the galaxy bar one, but the barriers' capacitors weren't holding up to the strain of so many shots. It was better than she had feared, but worse than she had hoped. Unfortunately, the geth were lining up more ships to attack.

"Barriers at 86%."

"I'm right here," muttered Hannah, "You wanted to dance, why are you getting cold feet?"

"Barriers at 73%, rate of power consumption is increasing."

Every minute meant more geth ships getting their firing solutions. Slamming her fist down on the arm of her chair, Hannah almost ordered a retreat. She gritted her teeth, and restrained herself. She needed to react.

"Helm, take us closer to the geth," she said.

All heads turned to her, necks craned and eyes wide. They didn't believe they had heard her correctly.

"Do it," said Hannah, "Or we lose."

"Aye, ma'am," said Corrigan loudly, to encourage the others. With strange faces, the crew returned to their duties. Hannah felt sorry, but resolved herself as the helm officer turned the ship once again. They pulled away from the _Valkyria _ opened a comm channel. Hannah felt almost weary in opening it.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"What is necessary," replied Hannah, "What I need to do to save this fleet."

"Barriers at 51%," reported Corrigan.

"You will receive the Star of Terra for this, Captain," said Singh, her tone lowered.

"I hope not," replied Hannah, "Just be ready."

"Aye, ma'am," said Singh, speaking as if to a superior for the first time. The geth still kept their formation. At least forty cruisers had turned to shoot at the _Athena_. It would not be long now. Moving hadn't been enough. Something else was required.

"Are forward torpedo tubes still loaded and ready?" asked Hannah.

"Yes, Captain," Corrigan replied.

"Gunnery, fire a full salvo at the nearest cruiser formation," said Hannah.

The torpedoes fired almost immediately, and spread out into groups of five. They sped towards their targets. Some of these tried to manoeuvre, others stood still. Hannah smiled. At last, she had taken the geth by surprise with that move. One or two of the torpedoes was shot down from each group, but in the end, six cruisers were hit. The damage was not insignificant either, with at least half knocked out of the fight.

"Barriers at 35%."

"Come on, if that won't get your attention, what will?" Hannah growled.

As if hearing her remark, the geth reacted. A huge section of their formation now started advancing, moving to intercept the _Athena_ and the _Valkyria. _Two hundred ships rushing across the space between the two fleets. Hannah could have kissed whatever server had finally made the decision.

"Helm, back us off!" she ordered, "Air Wing, commence attack! XO, signal the fleet!"

The crew jerked as the ship's momentum reversed suddenly, the inertial dampeners overwhelmed for a brief moment. The forward engine pods backed the ship off from the approaching swarm of enemy vessels. The geth had commenced what they thought was their coup de grace, Hannah realised, as another hundred ships moved from the moon's orbit towards her position.

The _Athena_ was about to be engulfed in a firestorm.

As it retreated, others were moving to meet the geth. Red and Blue squadrons emerged from behind, and raced to acquire targets. Joining them, _Valkyria_'s fighters and every single frigate left surged at the enemy from all sides. Hannah watched the geth attack as it was enveloped, the action playing out on the holographic projector. The geth pressed on regardless, trusting in their numbers. She grinned. They had fallen for it.

The jaws of the Alliance trap fell upon the synthetics. Their cruisers were set upon with torpedo salvoes from all directions, as the vengeful wolfpacks danced around them. Fighters launched coordinated attacks on the very front of the geth formation, slowing its pace considerably as the lead ships were crippled or destroyed. For a moment, Hannah began to think she would live through it. At least until the next round.

"Barriers at 11%," said Corrigan.

The geth were still firing on her ship in increasing numbers. Hannah felt her pulse quicken, as the firing continued. The fleet was tearing the geth apart. The cost would be her life.

"Begin evasive manoeuvring!" she ordered in desperation, "Deploy all decoys!"

The hologram lit up with heat blooms as the targeting countermeasures spread out from the hull of the ship, as the _Athena_ began a series of jinks and turns while it continued to retreat. They had almost made it back to their starting position alongside the _Valkyria_. The number of hits dropped, Hannah saw, but she knew it wouldn't be enough.

"Barriers at 6%, localised failures in the rear sections!"

The next few seconds slowed to a crawl.

The ship jarred violently. Hannah's head was thrown against the back of her chair, her skull impacting roughly before being thrown forwards again. Screens came loose and floated away in zero-g. Some of the lighting smashing, some of it flickered on and off. The hologram lost focus, as the battle raging outside became nothing but a mishmash of colours, blue, orange and red mixing together.

When the shaking of the ship stopped, Hannah raised her head and opened her eyes. The back of her head hurt like hell, and her vision was blurry. She reached back and felt it, and her fingers returned with a little blood. She blinked, and her sight improved a little. The rest of the crew was recovering, lifting themselves out of awkward positions in their seats, or rubbing their shoulders where the straps had barely kept them stationary. The hologram was still not working properly, but she couldn't focus on it anyway.

"XO, report," she said. It hurt to breath and speak.

To Corrigan's credit, she answered quickly. "Direct hit to engine pod four, pods three and five damaged, barriers at 3%. Ship is corkscrewing clockwise, and engineering is venting atmosphere. No casualty reports. Yet. Enemy has stopped firing on us."

Hannah felt nausea sweep over her, the urge to throw up surging up her throat. She held her breath for a moment to suppress it, as she began sweating. The heat dispersion system was compromised. Not stopping to ask why the enemy had started to ignore her ship, she took the good luck and slipped back into command.

"Stabilise our trajectory, restore sensors and artificial gravity," she said, "Damage control teams to engineering."

The _Athena_ was not dead yet, Hannah repeated in her head. She refused to abandon it.

"FTL jump contacts!" Corrigan said, "Hundreds... no thousands of them!"

A groan escaped Hannah's throat.

"More geth," she said, exasperated, "Gunnery, prepare targeting solutions."

"They're not geth!" Corrigan proclaimed, a huge smile breaking across her face like a sunrise.

Hannah squinted at the hologram. It sharpened. The geth were in full retreat, and a rash of new contacts approached from all sides. At the forefront was an Alliance flotilla IFF marked "63SR".

"Anderson," said Hannah quietly, "He brought reinforcements."

David Anderson had saved her life and the lives of her crew. Not for the first time, either. She unbuckled herself from her chair and slumped into a more comfortable posture. Her head was throbbing, she was dazed, her ship was scarred and battered. But she had won. She grinned like an idiot, and unable to contain herself any more, began laughing. It was apparently contagious. Her crew began to laugh and cheer as well.

"We're being hailed by the... quarians," said Corrigan, interrupting the reverie.

Hannah coughed, feeling dizzy. "Put it through to the main hologram."

She stood up. It made the dizziness and nausea worse, but her curiosity was peaked. A quarian appeared in glowing orange in front of her, standing where the battle telemetry had a moment before. He was an impressive specimen for his species, relatively well built and of obvious military bearing. Hannah stood to attention herself as best she could, exacerbating her condition.

"This is Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema, commanding the Quarian Heavy Fleet," said the quarian, "SSV Athena, please respond."

"We're having some difficulty transmitting, comms might have been put out by the impact," said Corrigan, tapping furiously on her console, "Changing to tertiaries."

Hannah struggled to remain conscious, but remained upright as the XO nodded to her.

"This is Group-Captain Hannah Shepard, acting-commanding officer, Fifth Fleet," she said, "On behalf of the Human Systems Alliance, I present to you the colony of Ket'osh."

Hannah felt herself fall, and the world went black.


	24. Codex: Normandy SR1 & Other Entries

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: _

_Here's the bonus chapter! _

_Author's notes on Shepard, Hannah's ship Athena, and Alliance ship names, looking into why I made decisions to change things there. _

_A look at the Normandy is required, as in the first few chapters we have the crew using assault pods to land on Eden Prime, so obviously it isn't exactly the same ship as the canon vessel! Still the Cool Ship we all know and love, of course.  
_

_Beyond that, we have the profiles of the two leaders of humanity, Alice Dennison and Alexander deBankole. We have a look at two Alliance military units, Vega's Fourth Legion and Kaidan's First Legion. We also have the Defence Intelligence Directorate's entry, which provides a clue as to the story going forward. Also, an entry on thermal clips in weapons, as a result of a review and a conversation with polarpwnage, who gets a shoutout for making me think a little about this small change to the canon._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES_**

**_Jane Shepard_**

Shepard in this story is somewhat different to the canon, particularly in terms of role. She remains the catalyst for the huge revelation of the Reapers, but I like to think of her as a big piece in a much larger picture. With humanity going to war with the geth, instead of sitting on its backside, there's a lot more going on that Shepard won't be a part of. I think it's necessary to have some gameplay-story separation here as well. In the game, you get to make decisions that seem above Shepard's paygrade, and she might not necessarily get to make them in BF2183. You also seem to be the only one doing anything to stop the geth in the game, which is far from the case here. So Shepard's character is changed a bit to reflect this. She's still the saviour, but she isn't the "one against the world" in the same way. This has positives and negatives for her, but it makes it easier to write a good story too, because she can react to political and military decisions in different ways.

I knew immediately that Torfan had to be part of her history when the idea to mix Battlefield 2142 and Mass Effect came to me. Even before I knew it would be FemShep. It's by far the most visceral of the military record options in the game, and makes her into a far more morally ambiguous character. Having her traumatised by thresher maws or as some glowing hero as a result of Elysium didn't really appeal to me. One is too depressing, the other edges into Mary Sue territory. It also has to do with the fact that Shepard is the best, and I think it's necessary on some level for her to enjoy what she does in order to be the best. Torfan fits that best, and I'll probably explore that in great detail when Torfan's turn comes along in my Wars of the Systems Alliance story.

As for her family background, I had some trouble choosing between Earthborn and Spacer. The first would fit her character on Torfan quite well, whereas the latter would allow the introduction of Hannah Shepard as a character into the story. In the end, I opted for a mix of both, with her being born on Earth but essentially raised in space. Not going to lie, it was pretty much to serve the purpose of having Hannah play a pivotal role in both 2183 and the prequel 2157 story that was floating around in my head separately. It also means she has a greater attachment to Earth, because she was born there. I think Shepard is more interesting if she transitions from a teenager in a loving family to this Angel of Death type character that appears on Torfan, and then is tempered by Anderson over the years afterwards. Being some Earthborn misfit would make Torfan look merely like a continuation of her criminality on Earth, which I think is quite boring.

She's also changed because humanity has changed in this story. She's very confident of humanity's place in the galaxy like many other humans, as a result of their greater success against the batarians than in canon. Despite this, she remains friendly to (most) aliens. She's in the centre ground of humanity in this regard, being absolutely sure that humanity's place is to go out, expand, conquer, but also understanding who their friends are at the same time. I guess it's most simple to say that humanity has moved closer to Chief Williams' ideas about things in ME1. It also means an easier time from human politicians, as you can see in her interactions with Udina and the consuls. At least for this story. This is in no small part due to the fact she's brought another major threat to the attention of the galaxy, one that humanity can exploit to expand its territory and influence in the name of self-defence, yet again.

I should also probably discuss Liara, but I think I'll leave that to a separate entry when the story has moved along a bit more. She'll more than deserve her own note by that point anyway, I suspect.

**_SSV Athena_**

As most of you have probably guessed, Hannah Shepard's ship and their sister ships draw heavy inspiration from Battlestar Galactica. In terms of size, shape, capabilities and role, they're fairly similar. Perhaps more similar to Pegasus. This is largely because I think the way carriers are portrayed in the ME canon is ridiculous. With FTL travel, carriers without lots of guns, barriers and armour are going to get blown to bits very quickly. Ships can drop in behind the lines and launching devastating attacks before anything can be done about them. Enemies can also come from any direction in three dimensions, meaning that the "keep out of the way" tactics talked about in the ME codex are essentially wishful thinking. It also makes sense that they'd be larger than dreadnoughts by a considerable degree, as they're not limited by the Treaty of Farixen and would require larger amounts of space for equipment anyway. So, I designed the Athena and her sisters with the ability to take serious punishment, as well as dole it out via fighters and some heavy firepower of their own. They'd still lose in artillery duels with dreadnoughts, being outranged and outgunned in that case, but they can take on many smaller vessels and live to tell the tale, as well as act as a proper carrier should.

**_Alliance Ship Naming_**

I thought the names of dreadnoughts and carriers in the ME canon were boring at best, downright insulting at worst. Somehow, I don't think Einstein or Hawking would approve of their names being attached to military vessels. Nor is doing so a particularly good idea for military ships in the first place. Einstein is many things, but physically intimidating is not among them. Mountain names for the dreadnoughts are a little better, mountains being imposing features by nature, but they're stationary and static. I often think they could have used volcanoes instead if they wanted to use a physical feature that wouldn't be controversial. Angry mountains that spew fire seem like a pretty good metaphor for a dreadnought.

However, I decided to go in another direction. Dreadnoughts and carriers rule the skies, dominating the fleets of all species and often deciding battles from their mere presence. For me, the only appropriate names to be given to entities such as that are the names of gods and goddesses. So carriers are named after goddesses of war, sovereignty, etc, dreadnoughts are named for gods of war and mythological war heroes. It also puts the battles to come against the Reapers into classical terms, pitting the gods against the evil titans come to destroy the world. Particularly apt, given that the ME canon has plenty of such references already.

* * *

**Codex: SSV Normandy**

_The SSV Normandy SR-1 is the lead ship of a class of stealth frigates, developed from technological cooperation between the Systems Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy. Developed for reconnaissance and special operations, the Normandy is expected to be the first of many such vessels to be built by both humanity and the turians. _

_The new technologies incorporated into its design allow it to store excess heat and manoeuvre without the use of thrusters, making it virtually invisible for up to three hours of active movement or two days of passive quiet running. Once within operational range, the Normandy has a variety of tools at its disposal to complete its mission. Its primary weapons consist of four EXALT torpedo-launchers and a spinal mass-accelerator, backed up with two GARDIAN point defence laser batteries. If a non-lethal approach is required, it also has a Medusa EMP Projector. The ship is capable of landing on most terrestrial worlds, can carry up to two Mako APCs or four Riesig Assault Walkers, and has eight assault-pods for deployment of naval infantry from orbit. It possesses the best heat, radar and ladar sensory suites available, and is capable of launching probes and FTL comm buoys to gather and relay combat telemetry._

_As a symbol of both humanity's growing technical capabilities and cooperation with the turians, heavy expectations rest on the Normandy's performance. With the outbreak of the Eden Prime War, the efficacy of the design will be watched closely by all space-faring species, and it is likely that others will attempt to replicate its design features. The Alliance has already began integrating the technology into the Normandy's sister class, the Churubusco-class stealth deterrence frigate, which has caused extranet forum hawks to dub both ship classes with the nickname "Project Red October"._

* * *

**Codex: Alexander deBankole**

_Alexander deBankole is the male Consul of the Systems Alliance and leader of the Labour Party, elected in September 2182 by the Alliance Parliament after the general election a month earlier. He is responsible for defence, foreign affairs, and inter-species trade, as "Consul of the Sword". Born in 2120 in __Mérignac, in the European Union, he holds joint African-European citizenships and has worked all his life to bring his two countries closer. Growing up in France during the New Ice Age, he saw first hand the effects of the climatic change. _

_As the Cold War approached, deBankole was sent to live with his relatives in Western Africa, a measure to prevent him signing up with the European Army when he was of age. When war finally broke out, he was nineteen. As the African Union had joined Europe against the Pan-Asian Coalition, he joined the African Army instead and was assigned to the 29__th__ Infantry Division (__Sénégal__). He saw his first combat on the Palestinian Front in late 2139, a theatre that gained renown for its grinding, attritional fighting. He was wounded in combat in Hebron in 2140, during the PAC offensive that captured Jerusalem-Al Quds and pushed the European-African alliance back into the Negev and Sinai. When he returned to action, his division had been reassigned to try and break the Siege of Belgrade. It was here that he saw the result of many atrocities by PAC forces against the populace, as well as the combined effects of war and freezing temperatures. _

_DeBankole's unit was evacuated from Croatia after the failure to stop the fall of Belgrade, and was moved to the Maginot Line as one of the few African units assigned in that theatre. He would fight from there to the North African coast and back again from 2141 to 2145. He received several combat decorations over the course of the war, and rose in rank from corporal to lieutenant. With the discovery of the mass effect, and the victory it brought, DeBankole left the African military and returned to education in Europe. _

_He earned a Bachelor's degree in history and political science, followed by a Master's degree in Strategic Studies. He entered politics soon afterwards, using his quiet but determined attitude to great effect. He rapidly progressed from city councillor to member of the French National Assembly between 2151 and 2157. His left wing policy positions stemmed largely from the belief that if the military could provide the essential needs of a soldier with a decent level of efficiency, the state could do the same for its citizens. It was an ideological line that had much traction in the post-war Europe._

_The First Contact War changed his outlook completely, as he realised like many that humanity needed to unite to give itself the best chance in a hostile galaxy. In 2162, he ran for election to the Alliance Parliament in the constituency of South West France with the Alliance Labour Party. As a member of the opposition during the Gasperi Administration, he consistently argued for larger defence spending to deter alien attacks, to be paid for by increased taxes. After the Battle of Mindoir and the 2172 general election, he was appointed Minister for Defence as his party won a complete victory under Consul Nozomi Taro. He oversaw the huge expansion of human military strength until the outbreak of the Second Verge War against the batarians, building a war-winning set of capabilities. _

_During that conflict, deBankole was responsible for much of the strategic planning. His greatest achievement was the Liberation of Anhur. This pushed him from a relatively minor minister to a candidate for the highest office of humanity. When the war ended in 2178, he continued the military buildup of humanity despite pressures for reduced peacetime taxation. He led his party into the 2182 election despite its weakened popularity, and forced his main opposition into a grand-coalition. His success kept him in power alongside the People's Party leader, Alice Dennison. His rule has been categorised as calm and collected, but reactive rather than proactive, a sharp contrast to his co-consul._

* * *

**Codex: Alice Dennison**

_Alice Dennison is the female Consul of the Systems Alliance and leader of the People's Party, elected in 2182. She is responsible for home affairs as the "Consul of the Wreath", including finance, justice, enterprise, transport __and colonial affairs__. Born in 2131 in the Texas Megapolis, United States of America, she is an heiress of a prestigous American business family that had built the core of its wealth a century earlier. She grew up in the heartland of upper class urban America, in a region that was mostly untouched by the ice that closed in around the north of her nation._

_Dennison's family opposed involvement in the Mexican theatre of the Cold War, on the basis that American lives and treasure shouldn't be used to fight on behalf of a country that fought union with the United States on two separate occasions. Congress disagreed, and sent the full might of the US military to fight the South American Federation and later Brazil. In the patriotic fervour of the first year of the war, her family were pariahs for their opposition, a factor that would have a huge influence on her attitudes long after the events. _

_In the meantime, the family threw itself into repairing its reputation, holding charity events for veterans and the wounded, and lobbying for better conditions for the frontline soldiery. Alice herself was at the forefront of these efforts, despite her young age, occasionally finding herself at the centre of things. A picture of her handing a blanket to a grateful soldier of the Mexican Army's Brigada Irlandesa on St. Patrick's Day 2142 became one of the most famous images of the American experience in the Cold War, a metaphor for the entirety of America's involvement in the conflict._

_After the war, Dennison's family regained its former place at the heart of the American establishment when her uncle, Senator Jonathon Dennison, led efforts to hold the European Union to account for its hoarding of mass effect technologies. She continued her education with the expectation that she would enter the business world alongside many of her cousins. She earned a degree in Law and Business from the London School of Economics. Her father and mother died around this time as the result of a shuttle accident, and she inherited that portion of the family wealth along with her younger brother, Jack. She followed her parents' footsteps and used this to gather an extensive portfolio, stretching across Earth and into the rapidly expanding colonies. The First Contact War's swift conclusion opened a whole new world of opportunities, that she exploited with zeal. She extended her reach beyond the human sphere of influence, founding the first company to introduce the galaxy to chocolate and bringing human cultural media to the galactic stage._

_By 2165, Dennison found her interests moving in the direction of colonial politics as the conflict with the batarians started in earnest. The opening of the Citadel species' markets and the threat to prosperity looming because of alien slavers caused her political awakening. She joined the Conservative Party, the centre-right political grouping that dominated the Alliance Parliament's first dozen years of existence. She found herself right at home with the economics of the party, which were broadly pro-business, but soon earned a reputation as an outspoken radical on the subject of humanity's militarisation. She often favoured a far stronger military than her party colleagues were willing to finance, arguing that rapid colonial expansion was worth more than the taxes it would take to safely achieve. Despite this difference in opinion, she was elected to the Alliance Parliament as the representative for North Texas for the second term of the Gasperi Administration in 2167._

_After the batarian attack on Mindoir, Dennison led a revolt of party members against Anka Gasperi during the resulting political crisis. These conservative rebels formed a new group, the People's Party. Founded on the principle that colonial expansion was the route to prosperity for all of humanity, the party was far more willing to back large military spending on the basis that it made colonies viable against the barbarians at the gate. The new group proved popular. Dennison's party supported the left wing's attempts to enlarge the military, as well as the measures required during the Second Verge War to achieve victory. It greatly increased its vote share in the 2177 election, but when the war ended with the victories on Torfan and in the Kite's Nest, her party set about to win the next election. _

_If she was elected, Dennison promised to relax colonial regulations in order to speed the expansion of humanity, to decrease the bureaucracy required of colonial settlements, lower taxes on existing industrialised colonies and a harsher line on interstellar criminality. This was an extremely popular peacetime policy set, but other parties had similar ideas. The election of 2182 saw a splintered result as the electorate struggled to decide what it wanted from the government without a real enemy to confront. This forced Dennison into coalition with deBankole's Labour Party in order to form a government. Her reign as consul has been characterised as near-hyperactive, as she pushes her agenda without hesitation at every turn. Despite her background, she is regarded by many as someone who looks out for the ordinary person, perhaps encouraged by her frank and sometimes overly honest manner of speaking. _

* * *

**Codex: Legio IV Libertas**

_Legio IV Libertas is the fourth legion of the Systems Alliance Army, composed of formations from the United States and Mexico, as well as guest troops from Africa, Canada and South America on a rotating basis. Most of its combat units have long histories stretching back as far as the 19__th__ century. Many have fought each other over the course of the centuries, but now fight for the common cause of humanity. The reputation of the legion is one of tenacity, as its units have often found themselves in unexpected situations and have rescued victory from the jaws of defeat, sometimes literally._

_The legion has seen some of the harshest combat in the annals of the Alliance. Its constituent units fought in minor skirmishes with the turians at the end of the First Contact War, and then in the Verge Conflict with the batarians. In both instances, the fighting took place in harsh conditions with little assistance, and in both instances, the legion triumphed. Its units were mobilised for offensive action during the First Verge War, but a ceasefire was agreed before it could see action. Its next real taste of combat came after the batarian attack on Elysium, during the Second Verge War, when it was deployed to the Yuki Cluster to defend colonies there from batarian attack._

_The incident the legion is best known for is the 2177 Akuze Incident. Bad Company, 327__th__ Infantry Regiment, of the 101__st__ Orbital Assault Division encountered a large nest of thresher maws. While reports about the creatures were well studied in Alliance circles, the 4__th__ Legion had the dubious honour of being the first human combat unit to encounter thresher maws in the field. Bad Company were responding to a distress beacon when the threshers attacked. The beacon was never found, and the reports of batarian slavers it was broadcasting have yet to be explained. For defeating the creatures, holding their ground and successfully bringing back several specimens for study, the Fourth Legion was given the moniker of "Dragon Slayers" by the human media, a name the troops embrace with little enthusiasm due to the large number of casualties. Many in the military consider Akuze to be a pyhrric victory at best._

* * *

**Codex: Defence Intelligence Directorate**

_The Defence Intelligence Directorate, or D.I.D., is the Alliance's military intelligence service, tasked with finding all possible threats to humanity. Founded as a merger between naval and army intelligence services, the DID is a web of espionage, intrigue and assassination, spun by spiders looking to catch any unwary foes. It possesses a formidable research section, and is responsible for the maintenance and development of humanity's WMD arsenal via the Special Weapons Divisions. It also works in conjunction with Earth's civilian intelligence agencies, which have remained independent from the Systems Alliance._

_The organisation is commanded by two directors, one from the Army and one from the Navy. As of 2183, these are Major-General Karla Haider and Rear-Admiral Federic Kohaku. Together, they control undercover operatives, intelligence analysts, technical professionals and special forces units. They answer directly to the Consuls, giving them immense political access and no small degree of power within the political and military hierarchy of the Systems Alliance. Even humanity's ambassadors to the Citadel have been known to defer to them, particularly in wartime. In recognition of the potential abuses this status could allow, the military ranks of the directors are always placed below that of the commanders of both the Army's legions and the Navy's fleets. As subordinates, the directors advise the High Command without forming part of it._

_The reputation of the organisation is not as impressive as that of either the Salarian Special Tasks Group or the Citadel's Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance, but it operates on a different basis to either of those organisations, fitting directly into the military hierarchy of the Alliance. It has shown itself to be most adept at counterintelligence and turning enemy offensive actions against the aggressor, and even the STG treads extremely lightly in human space. Rumours about its preparations for war against all possible threats to humanity have long gone the rounds in the conspiracy theorist circles of the extranet. Rumours about secret caches of weapons on every major world in Citadel Space, ready to be used by human special forces to assassinate alien leadership, are particularly popular. The DID refuses to confirm or deny the existence of such preparations, and has even been accused of deliberately cultivating them with convenient leaks at opportune moments._

* * *

**Codex: Legio I Terra Invicta**

_Legio I Terra Invicta is the first legion of the Systems Alliance Army, and operates as the special forces command of humanity. The legion is formally subordinated to the Alliance Defence Intelligence Directorate, but may be called upon by either of the Chiefs of Staff to operate in conjunction with regular forces as required. It is composed of both special forces units and elite field formations from all nations of Earth, and one from off-world. As such, the legion has administrative and military control over such names as the Australian SAS, Africa's Para Division, America's Delta Force, Europe's Hell Brigade, the British Gurkhas, the French Foreign Legion, and the Martian 1__st__ Armoured Division. The legion also oversees biotic training via the Army Biotic Assault School and the B7 Programme._

_The legion was created to replace and improve upon the Alliance Special Forces Command (ASFC). At the time of the implementation of the legion system, there was great concern in military circles that amalgamation of army formations would destroy the traditions and unique skills of individual units. In order to preserve both, the legion system was organised along national lines and the First Legion was created to maintain the traditions of the specialised units assigned to it. It has no overall commander, its units answer directly to the Chiefs of Staff and the directors of the DID. Its history is shrouded in official secrecy. The only major operations that have been publicly acknowledged are the Theshaca Raids and Torfan, the former due to their huge success and the latter due to the controversy surrounding it._

_Terra Invicta means "Earth Unconquered"._

* * *

**Codex: Thermal Clips**

_Thermal clips allow mass-accelerator based firearms to fire more frequently, by absorbing the heat generated into a sink that is then ejected from the weapon and replaced. This allows far more rounds to be fired downrange than a more traditional heat dispersion system could, in the same space of time. As of 2183, almost all small arms use a thermal clip system, from the concealable pistol to the heavy machineguns of an infantry company._

_The widespread use of thermal clips is a very recent development in galactic history. Although weapons using the concept have existed since the Rachni Wars in some form or another, militaries dismissed them due to logistical concerns. This changed after the First Verge War between the Human Systems Alliance and the Batarian Hegemony. In the course of that short conflict, human soldiers found themselves constantly overheating their weapons as the batarians resorted to massed charges by barrier-equipped troops and biotic assault specialists. Weapons simply did not cool fast enough to deal with a large number of foes before they could close. The Alliance was forced to coordinate when their soldiers would fire, with one half of each squad cooling their weapons while the other fired._

_In the interwar period between the First and Second Verge Wars, a coalition of weapons manufacturers from Earth came up with the solution. They revived the thermal clip as a key war winning device, designing a whole series of weapons around existing models with the simple change that they now used clips. To boost sales, they released thermal clip minifacturing designs on the extranet for free, meaning that anyone with the right machinery and resources could manufacture a clip without extra cost. By 2176, many militaries and police services were using the system. Alien corporations have adopted the idea with gusto, and all modern designs use thermal clips. Licensed manufacturing of human designs for export by non-human companies continues to this day, as does the creation of illegal copies by the batarians and pirates. The change has greatly increased the firepower of the individual soldier, allowing them to get firing again much more quickly, making the battlefield of the late 22__nd__ Century an even more deadly place than before._


	25. Chapter 20: Grasp

**Chapter 20: Grasp**

The blue giant spun, spraying waves of energy off even in its holographic representation. The Grissom System was a harsh place. All three terrestrial worlds, two planets and one moon, were extremely inhospitable places to say the least. Blasted by heat and other forms of radiation, their atmospheres leaking off into space, each of their surfaces a giant kiln. Today, they were joined by hundreds more sensor contacts. The entire Alliance Second Fleet, in fact, the hunters for a most elusive and vicious prey. One made more dangerous by the fact that it was now wounded and cornered. The geth fleet, and below, trapped on a world inhospitable even to a non-organic race, the army of synthetics.

Shepard watched with a smile, as the sensor data poured in, resting in her comfy chair raised above the CIC in front of the command hologram. She hadn't left out the crew either, who now worked from chairs or stools with padding and better ergonomic designs more commonly spotted on civilian designs. Not exactly a standard sight on an Alliance warship, but the Commander had thought that the situation merited it. It had been three months since the Battle of Ket'osh, where her mother had nearly gotten herself killed to cut the geth forces in half. Much of that time had been spent in command of the Normandy itself, whether it was following up on missions for Hackett for the first month, or joining the search for Saren for the two afterwards. Standing still in front of a hologram for a full double shift was something she decided to abandon quickly, and had the new upholstery requisitioned from her large pot of private Spectre funds.

Money that she had won through bounties and looting the dead after hard combat.

Admiral Hackett had no small number of tasks for her. Pirates, missing ships, Prothean data drives, distress calls... The Fifth Fleet had taken a serious battering at Ket'osh, and only Anderson's flotilla had been fully operational afterwards. To which the Normandy was technically assigned. At first, Shepard had thought she would hate the distraction from the hunt for Saren. It seemed idiotic to be dealing with what she thought was small-fries when the real enemy was free to roam. While she could have gotten out of it, she changed her mind soon enough.

One of the first assignments saw her run into someone she had always wanted to meet. After tracking a First Contact Era nuclear-probe to Agebinium, she fell into the trap of perhaps the most infamous enemy of humanity until Saren had shown up on Eden Prime. Elanos Haliat himself had attempted to blow her up with a half-century old nuke. The very same man who had attacked Elysium with the help of the batarians, the man who had ordered the hostage taking at Illyria. The man whose plans Shepard had helped to dismantle on her first combat orbital drop mission as an N7. She managed to dismantle the bomb in time.

An omniblade through the throat stopped his wasted threats and empty bravado, which was all he had left.

It wasn't the only unfinished business that she had taken care of. Courtesy of her official discretion as a Spectre, she had went on missions of her own as well. On the word of Officer Vakarian, she liquidated an organ cloning ring with extreme prejudice, including a certain "Dr. Heart". The turian cop was just Garrus to her after that, though he refused to call her Jane due to her rank. Even Wrex saw some benefits, as they recovered his family armour from a smuggler, two reasons Shepard saw to deal with the situation. Alongside recovering plenty of geth tech for Tali and Haider, as well as Prothean data disks with Liara, it was a productive and busy month.

Anything to stay away from the Citadel, and the swarms of journalists.

They weren't all bad. There was Emily Wong, at least. Regardless, when the time to resume the hunt for Saren came, Shepard and the crew were immensely relieved. Even Joker had been mobbed by paparazzi when he had wandered into Chora's Den with a couple of the younger male ensigns. Which he didn't find embarrassing in the slightest, to Shepard's great amusement. The krogan bouncers tossing them all out helped, thus saving the ensigns from Joker's poor example.

As for the hunt itself, they had found a geth base pretty quickly. The problem is that it wasn't the only one. After planning the attack, launching it and then scouring the base on Maji in the Vamshi System, another was discovered. The process repeated itself three more times, the bases getting progressively harder to take. Finally, in the Gagarin System, they had found the communication signal that would lead them to the real staging ground.

So, it was with no small degree of satisfaction that Commander Shepard watched as the Second Fleet moved into formation for a combat jump.

"The last flotilla just arrived, Commander," reported Pressly, "The flagship is asking for an advisory."

"We'll go in first," said Shepard, knowing her plan was risky otherwise, "Get into position before we start lifting rocks and sending bugs scurrying away. Once we're ready to storm the geth bunker, the fleet can attack."

"Aye, ma'am," said Pressly, before tapping at his console.

Shepard continued watching the hologram, for any sign of trouble from the geth fleet. The stealth probes relaying back the information revealed no change in their behaviour. They remained in their geosynchronous orbit. Sovereign was conspicuously missing, but that didn't mean Saren was absent too. She began to hope. She wasn't the only one.

"Advisory, huh," Joker chimed in, "You'd think they'd just call it what it is, an order. Not like an Admiral is going to tell a murderer-hunting Spectre to shove it. '_You know what Miss Kickass Spectre Angel of Death, I don't like your tone of voice._'"

Shepard snorted, doubting that Admirals would hesitate to do so at all.

"Don't be so sure," she replied, "Admirals are close to being God. No need to insult anyone by telling them otherwise. Especially when we can get their help by calling an order by another name."

"See, I knew you were better at politics than I am," the flight lieutenant continued, "That's why you're the Spectre and not me."

Shepard chuckled a little with half the CIC crew. The pilot's jokes were a defence mechanism, she knew, but the guy was just too much to be disliked for it. He was a little scared perhaps, or nervous. That didn't help his cause, however. Pressly looked decidedly irritated at the man's behaviour, as usual. Unsurprising, considering he could hear every word, just like the rest.

"Flight Lieutenant Moreau, continue your duties with less lip," the XO said sternly, "Or I'll go forward and put my boot in your yapping mouth!"

"Yes, sir!" Joker replied enthusiastically, "Permission to proceed to Solcrum."

"Granted," Shepard said, before Pressly could add another amusing rebuke, "Engage Tantalus when we arrive and bring us about for an orbital drop. XO, you have the bridge."

Pressly saluted, as Shepard raised herself from her chair and proceeded back down the ramp to the stairway. It was well past time for some wetwork, and she sincerely hoped to put Saren under her blade, as she had with Haliat.

* * *

"Clear the cargobay," came the order from the bridge, as the emergency bulkheads came down to separate the engineering deck more safely. The mechanics finished up their last minute checks on the Makos, and proceeded into the elevator quickly. Shepard watched them scurry away, hoping that they had outdid themselves with their tweaks of the two vehicles her squads would take to the surface. They would need it. The geth had chosen a real bitch of a world to hide out on.

The Commander approached her team as they put the finishing touches on preparing themselves for the fight to come. They were all decked out in HEV armour, which was more bulky and heavy than the adaptive-ablative armour with plating that was standard issue with the Alliance. It was necessary, as they were about to fight in an oven of a planet against a large number of enemies. The temperature would be over 300 degrees Celsius. Not a place for a suit rupture or a kinetic barrier failure. A problem for more than just their health.

Shepard pat the side of her RAM-rifle as it sat upright in her arms locker, where it would remain. The scope was too sensitive to heat to be used, and although she could use ironsights or a hightemp scope of a different kind, it wasn't quite the same. And so, her favoured weapon was staying behind.

"You're disappointed that you can't take it, aren't you?" said Garrus, glancing at her with a twitch of his mandibles. A smirk, or the turian equivalent of one. Shepard couldn't help but return the smirk. It was obvious he was feeling the same loss for his own favourite weapon, which was unusable for the same reason.

"Well, it is fun," remarked Wrex from behind, "Gotta get one of those myself." He had enjoyed himself with her own briefly, on Feros.

"Ask, and you shall receive," Shepard said, eliciting a gleeful look from the krogan as he grabbed hold of his shotgun. She wondered for a moment if he could actually hit anything, before remembering that he had shot a geth prime to pieces while she fell from the top of a building with Liara. The plan didn't sound good to everyone though.

"Are you allowed to give away valuable military hardware ma'am?" asked Ashley, only half-joking. Shepard took her meaning immediately. Was she allowed to give away powerful weapons _to an alien, _was what the Gunnery Chief meant. The answer was no, of course, but 'allowed' had a different meaning for a Spectre.

"Exceptions can be made," replied Shepard. Ashley frowned at that.

"Look on the bright side Williams," said Kaidan, wading in to defuse the issue, "Wrex with more firepower means more dead geth." Shepard found herself impressed with the intervention. She wondered why Alenko had not been promoted yet, before Wrex banged his chest loudly.

"Wrex with more firepower means no geth at all," growled the krogan himself. No argument there, thought Shepard.

"Amen to that," Ashley replied, placated somewhat.

"Does that mean I can get an upgrade too?" asked Tali, hopefully.

"You mean another upgrade," replied Kaidan, "It seems everyone is getting one around here."

Which was true enough. The funds gathered during the missions for Hackett had went almost entirely on outfitting the crew with the latest and best gear. Haider had even sprung for some in-development weapon mods from the Small Arms Division of the DID. With the demand that Shepard send back reports on how well they worked on geth.

The Commander looked at her crew as they continued talking, and saw Liara at the back. The asari was oddly quiet, which wasn't exactly unlike her but set Shepard worrying anyway. Probably because of Benezia. Where Saren was, the Matriarch would likely be nearby. It couldn't avoided, Shepard decided, and shouldn't be, however problematic that was.

"Alright, gather around," the Commander said, ending the banter as she checked the time, "Tali, Wrex, Ashley, you'll go in Mako Two under Kaidan's command. Garrus, Liara, you're with me in Mako One. Let's load up! Today's the day we get Saren!" Pointedly leaving out Benezia from mention. The squads seem to stand straighter, which of course was the objective.

"Hooah, ma'am!" declared Ashley. Shepard smiled at her enthusiasm, the Chief speaking for the rest. She nodded, and waved them on.

The group split up and climbing into their vehicles, more awkwardly than usual as a result of the body armour. Garrus crouched into the Mako's space with difficulty, before pulling himself into the driver's seat. Shepard raised an eyebrow at that.

"Do you know how to drive this thing?" she asked sincerely. Garrus laughed, and turned his head back towards her as Liara entered.

"Last I checked, _you_ didn't," the turian said, before his eyes flickered to the asari, "I'll take care of it."

Shepard got his meaning immediately. He was trying to be considerate, not just to her but to Liara as well. The man fronted as a hardass cop, and he was one, but she knew he was far from hard at heart. It was the subtleties that gave it away. "If you insist," she said, before taking a seat.

Liara took the seat next to the commander absent-mindedly, still caught in her own thoughts. She fidgeted, first with her helmet, before moving on to her pistol until finally running out of things and falling back on her hands. Shepard felt a pang of guilt. She dreaded what she might have to do if Benezia was with Saren. Resistance had to be met with naked and absolute force in her case, capturing an asari matriarch was almost certainly beyond Shepard's powers. It was obvious that Liara had realised this as much as anyone.

Going with her first instinct, Shepard took Liara's left hand in her right and squeezed it a little. Liara turned her gaze from the floor, and squeezed back with a small smile. Crisis averted. The Commander strapped herself in with her free hand, as Garrus manoeuvred the Mako to the launch position with its sister vehicle, just in front of the Normandy's ramp. No issue with his driving so far. It was almost time.

"On final approach," Joker said over the radio, "Opening cargobay door."

The sound of the ramp lowering and the mild electric buzz of the mass effect field echoed around softly for a moment. Shepard inhaled a breath, held it for a second, and then let it go. She liked diving out of a ship in an assault pod or wingsuit, but vehicle drops just felt boring by comparison. There was no thrill to it. Usually. This time was different.

"Makos, away!"

The vehicle lurched forward, mass effect fields activated as they fell from the Normandy. The hunt was on.

* * *

The landing was as soft as could be expected, the hull bouncing on its wheels as it impacted the ground, thrusters screaming at full power before dying abruptly. The forces acting changed from vertical to horizontal as Garrus floored the accelerator. The landing zone wasn't exactly a place they wanted to get caught in, so moving on quickly was part of the plan. Shepard donned her helmet, the others doing so quickly as well.

"Verdun is on the ground," Shepard reported back to the ship.

"Mako Two is moving," replied Kaidan from the other APC.

Shepard got up and climbed to the gunner seat, the suspension taking away the big dips that would have made doing so awkward. After doing the restraints up, she activated the targeting systems and cycled through the optics settings. The blue light pouring onto the planet changed to white on black, green, black on white pulses, and then back again with glitching icons.

"IRNV, SNV, HiLo Frequency emissions, enhanced visible, Type-1 Eyeball, all check," she said as she worked, checking that they were all functioning, "Motion tracking is down, no atmospheric medium. Looks like no problems."

"You were expecting the tank to break down?" asked Garrus.

"Just the targeting systems," Shepard replied, "We're at the higher end of the operating range for temperature here. Normally, we'd just blast an enemy base from orbit if we found these conditions."

"_We_ would drop an asteroid," said Garrus, like it was a competition. Shepard smirked in her mask, shaking her head. The turians would indeed have dropped an asteroid, but they wouldn't be able to examine any wreckage if they did. The Hierarchy, always using a sledgehammer when a scalpel will do. Though the Alliance could be accused of the opposite problem, Shepard thought, on the occasions where it didn't lay waste to its enemies with nuclear fire.

"Does the method of destruction really matter that much?" asked Liara, in a confused tone.

Shepard glanced at Garrus, finding her look returned. They both shook with laughter. "Absolutely!" came the reply to the asari's question, delivered with no small amount of merriment.

"Heads up, we have geth armatures dead ahead!" said Kaidan.

Shepard shut up, and grabbed the controls. Searching the horizon for a moment, swivelling the gunsights, she soon found the armatures settled down in a defensive circle ahead. They were very difficult to spot in the blue light, their silver-grey tones folding into the background with ease, but their shapes were impossible to mistake once they could be picked out. The Commander winced as she saw several of their head-lamps glow to life, and the things began to stand up.

"Yeah, we see them too," she reported, "Pressly, can you patch me through to the Second Fleet?"

"Yes ma'am," the XO replied, before barking orders at the crew. Shepard watched as the geth armatures got closer, the Makos closing to an optimum firing range. More of the things were shaking the dust off themselves, rising from pits in the radiation-blasted rock. Sighing wearily, she could tell already that it would be a pain in the ass to fight them all. The geth's purpose was obvious. Stop their advance.

"You are go for Second Fleet," said Pressly.

"Second Fleet, this is Verdun," Shepard said, "We have been compromised. Advise immediately engagement with the enemy."

"Advisement received and acknowledged," said an excited-sounding comms officer, "Second Fleet inbound on Solcrum orbit." The line cut out afterwards, Admiral Brennan obviously being too busy for a chat. Considering he would be facing off against the remains of the geth expeditionary force, the Commander held no grudge on that count.

"Alright kids, now the fun begins," said Shepard, turning the one-five-five cannon safeties off, and activating the autoloader.

"We can pick them off one by one from range," Ashley said from the gunner seat of Mako Two, "Manoeuvre between the rocks for cover."

"It would take too long," replied Garrus, "If Saren's there, he's going to want to get the hell out as soon as he realises there's a fleet on top of him."

"Agreed," said Shepard, "I think it's time to take a page out of my mother's book. We barrel straight through the middle of them, disrupt their formations for when the Army arrives and get to Saren as soon as possible."

"We're ready to support you, Commander," said Joker, chiming in.

"Let's do it!" shouted Wrex.

"I'll try my best to keep the shields up..." said Tali quietly.

"Charge!"

Following the order, Garrus swung the nose of the Mako from its diagonal trajectory straight towards the main group of geth mechs. Kaidan followed directly behind, the standard procedure for penetrating an enemy line. Shepard fell into her battle trance, all of her attention moving to the targeting equipment, as she swung the turret left.

The first armature was powering up its plasma projector, the glow appearing as if it was attempting to spit at her.

"Oh no you don't," she muttered, as the first shell shot out of the mass accelerator. It impacted the shields, which fizzled as they deflected the energies of the shot and explosive away. Fortunately, they had also been overwhelmed. Shepard could smell the kill already. She squeezed the trigger of the co-axial machinegun hard, far harder than required, and riddled the metal beast. It sparked and twitched as the rounds made their mark, one-by-one. Five seconds later and it was down, collapsing as if someone had clawed its battery out.

The geth didn't rely on quality to get the job done on the ground, however.

Another dozen armatures, perhaps more, ran to engage. Those already in good cover and with clear lanes of fire began shooting the now-too-familiar blue balls of superheated energy. Shepard returned fire, concentrating on the targets near their path to the geth base as the Mako got closer. One enemy attack burst against the frontal barriers, shaking the vehicle violently.

"Barriers at 68%," intoned the VI.

Shepard kept firing, the booming of her own cannon punctuated both with the machinegun and Mako Two's main gun. They were making good progress. It would be less than a minute before they passed the enemy line. She almost felt like cackling, as they passed by some of the pits where the machines had been hiding. The strange curves of geth towers were clearly visible against the backdrop of more distant mountains.

Another two geth mechs stepped up, firing as they did so. Garrus jerked the controls, before Shepard could respond with the cannon. The first plasma shot from the enemy went wide, the second glanced the side. The Mako powered past them, and they scuttled on their legs to turn.

"Sons of..." Shepard muttered, before rotating the gun to the rear to shoot. The cannon blasted and the machinegun chattered, ripping the first and then the second to pieces before they could line up another wave of retaliation. Satisfied with her handiwork, the Commander kept firing to the rear targets, which had better firing positions as a result of her team's own progress.

"We're going to make it!" said Tali, between the cannon shots.

"Don't jinx it!" replied Ashley.

The young quarian did not have such power over the laws of fate as that, but what happened next had Shepard wondering whether the opposite was the case. As they passed the enemy line, dodging broken or disabled armatures, there was a brief rumbling accompanied by mounds of dirt rising into the sky. The warning lights lit up like a Christmas tree, compelling Shepard to turn the turret forward again.

Out of the ground, three geth titans were rising slowly, engines pouring power downwards to lift them. They were carbon-copies of the one on Feros, looking like flat, wide beetles with claws and guns for legs. They looked even more menacing in numbers, the blue light almost merging their profiles with the blue-black sky. A mix of fear and utter exasperation flooded Shepard's senses as she saw the machines halt, hovering right in front of her objective. The entrance to the geth bunker sat just beyond, tantalising.

She had many options. Retreat and call for backup, hug cover and call in an orbital strike, skirt around the geth positions... But all of them had a fatal flaw. She could see herself carrying out any such plans, as if she already had, only to find that Saren had escaped. She could already see the sneer of contempt on his face.

"Keep moving forward!" Shepard ordered, "We can't let Saren escape!"

"Ma'am," acknowledged Kaidan.

The Makos sped towards their goal over the rocky terrain. The geth manoeuvred effortlessly in the air to bracket them. The firing started soon after, the weapons hanging off the bellies of the titans opening up with all had. Shepard watched as the ground nearby and in front of the vehicle was blasted and shook, the accelerator weapons delivering high explosive shells to the vicinity. Cursing, she at least had the relief to see that Garrus and Kaidan weren't idly driving into the firestorm. Swerving and changing speed at random, activating the thrusters to hop over small ridges to throw off the geth targeting, they were weaving the teams ever closer to the big metal gateway to the complex below.

It wasn't enough.

A geth round detonated against the barriers, throwing the Mako a distance to the left as it was jumping. If they all hadn't been strapped into their seats, Shepard, Garrus and Liara would all certainly have been tossed about inside and gravely injured.

"Barriers at 21%." said the VI, oblivious to the danger.

"This is going to be close," said Garrus through his teeth, as he spun the wheel to the right to get back on track towards the target, "At least this thing is a lot faster than the Groundhog on Feros."

Shepard turned her attention away from the flying fortresses trying to kill her, and focused on the doorway ahead. It was hard to make out in the flying dust of the geth attacks, but the way was definitely blocked. And there was no longer even a minute to spare for Tali to breach the geth computers to open it. Which meant the brute force approach had to be used. It was more fun anyway.

"Ashley, target the middle of the gateway," the Commander said, moving the turret to do the same.

"Can-opener ready, ma'am!" replied the Gunnery-Chief, getting the idea. Her shot came just before Shepard's. Boom, boom, boom went the cannons as they placed round after round into the gates. The barriers protecting them failed quickly, and the metal began to twist and warp with both the penetrations and the repeated explosive forces.

"The geth have stopped firing," reported Kaidan nonchalantly, as if the shooting was never a real concern in the first place.

"That is strange," said Liara, "Won't their best chance be when we try to get through the entrance?"

"Maybe that's what they're waiting for," replied Shepard as the mass-accelerator loaded in another shot to fire.

The gate was a mess, barely standing but still up nonetheless. The more they shot at it, the less effective it was. Some of the fire was passing through the holes they had already made. Meanwhile, the geth hovered above and the critical moment hurried ever closer. Shepard knew what had to happen.

"Garrus, straight through!" she shouted.

The turian ceased his dodging manoeuvres. He pushed the APC's engines to their limits, and headed straight for the gateway. Shepard turned the turret back towards the geth as they passed underneath the middle titan. The synthetics did nothing, just watching. As if ordered to. Disturbed that she was out of the loop, she fired off a few speculative shots at the titan's emplacements to little effect. Might as well tweak the tin bastards' noses if they were up to something.

The Mako crashed into the gate with spine-jarring force, breaching into the interior of the bunker. Thrown forwards in her seat, the impact winded Shepard. Her ears will filled with the screeching of metal on metal, as the barriers failed and the remains of the gate scraped along the hull. Finally, the whole thing tumbled on its side, finally coming to rest on its back, the turret torn clean off.

Hanging groggily from her seat, Shepard rubbed her face to regain full consciousness.

The world was upside down, but everyone seemed to be alive. That was something, at least, along with the lack of chasing shots into the bunker from the geth. Carefully, she grabbed a hold of the bottom of her seat with one hand and slapped the seatbelt release with the other. This caused her to fall, but she caught herself, hung from her seat and placed her feet down on the roof.

Garrus shook his head rapidly and blinked, but looked like he could take care of himself. Liara on the other hand was groaning loudly, craning her neck and keeping her eyes closed. Shepard didn't even have to think who to help, though not thinking made her choose badly. She approached T'soni.

"Need any help there?" she said, as Liara's eyes turned to look at her.

To respond, the asari pushed the button on her seatbelt and flared her biotics around her, resulting in a graceful mid-air turn in a seating position followed by an equally graceful landing. Shepard let out an amused sigh. She had forgotten about the biotics in her worry. To make matters worse, a dull thud came from behind her in the direction of the controls. Garrus had fallen from his seat.

"I could use some," he said, as he recovered from a crumpled position. Shepard held out her hand, which the turian took quickly, and together they managed to get him up to a crouching position. Which was about as good as they could get in the low ceiling of the vehicle.

"Commander, are you all alive in there?" asked Kaidan via the comms.

"Somehow," Shepard replied, "Did you get through okay?"

"The doors fell when you crashed into them," the lieutenant replied, "We were able to drive in without trouble."

The Commander kicked the rear door of the Mako open, and stepped into the darkness. "Excellent," she said, satisfied at both his response and her own action.

"You guys might want to come take a look at this," said Wrex.

The krogan was peering around the edge of the exit, looking up. Afraid that some calamity was about to fall on their heads, Shepard rushed to join him, taking her autoshotgun into her hand. Pacing through the darkness towards the blue light, she stopped dead in her tracks when she finally saw what Wrex had been talking about.

The Second Fleet had deployed its own titans, and they were coasting in to fight the geth, gunships deploying to duel with geth fighters that had followed the motherships down.

Shepard watched with little interest, as the firing started. Saren was not outside, after all. She turned around quickly and got the others moving. The Alliance could take care of the enemy outside. Her business was beneath.

* * *

The squad made good progress through the geth base. It was surprisingly unremarkable, being constructed of standard mining platforms and underground habitation modules, as opposed to anything exotic. The spaces were still filled with the unique geth equipment that had become ubiquitous in their quest to win the war. Shepard was encouraged by the sight of the latter. It meant that this was not a decoy base or a secondary location. The other bunkers had been little more than storage facilities.

They met only minimal resistance from only the most basic geth platforms, which acted in a predictable manner. For all their capabilities, imagination was not among the synthetics' greatest. Every intersection saw the team fight off an ambush, with the geth appearing out of random nooks and crannies. It would have been a problem, except every intersection was exactly the same in layout, and the number of places to hide were limited. Shepard was almost bored by the time they got to the main control room. A couple of speculative buckshot spreads into the likely points, and the tinheads popped up like a jack-in-the-box, ready to be tossed about by Liara and Wrex, or shredded with fire from Garrus and Ashley. Tali took care of an entire ambush herself when she hacked half of the aggressors into shooting the other half to pieces. At which point the Commander had a go of killing five compromised geth with a single shot. It passed through three. Wrex stepped on the remainder.

Infuriatingly, their main objective was empty of Saren or Benezia. It was a standard enough CIC-style space, with a central holographic projector, computers on the periphery and consoles in between. Something persons from many species would find familiar. Shepard felt like tearing the place apart with her omniblade, as if Saren was hiding in some hidden alcove behind the equipment. She paced around, tapping the interfaces to find some clue as to where the turian traitor was hiding. Kaidan, Tali and Liara followed her lead, while the others covered the exits.

"Commander, you'll want to see this," said Alenko, waving his superior officer over. Shepard stopped what she was doing and made her way to the screen, along with a curious Tali.

The display seemed to show a dozen or so surveillance camera feeds from elsewhere in the base, with dozens more on standby mode. Shepard pat the lieutenant on the shoulder.

"Good work Lieutenant," she said, "Flick through the other cameras, maybe we'll find what we're looking for."

"That's not what I meant, Commander," he said, before pointing at several of the feeds, "Look at these rooms. They're huge. Big enough to store tens of thousands of geth in stasis."

Tali leaned in quickly, her head moving slightly as she scanned the images, before recoiling backwards with the realisation that Kaidan was right. Shepard felt a cold shiver down her spine, as the quarian's reactions confirmed the idea's veracity. Where there was one facility, there could be others. The geth had raised an army of hundreds of thousands, possibly millions. The question had to be asked.

"If there is space for an army, where is the army?" she asked.

"Evacuated already, maybe," said Tali, "If Saren knew that we were coming, he would try and get as much of his forces out before we arrived. Perhaps he has already left too."

"Not a chance," said Shepard immediately, "Sovereign hasn't been spotted coming in or out of the cluster, and he wouldn't fly in anything else. Too dangerous now, with the war. Keep looking."

The others did as they were told, frantically working to discover the enemy's secrets. The fact the computers had not been wiped yet encouraged Shepard to believe that they had caught the geth entirely by surprise, but there was a niggling doubt at the back of her mind. That the whole base was a trap or a ruse of some kind. Yet nothing she had seen would suggest such a thing except for the ease with which they had gotten this far. Frustrated by the contradiction, she made her way to Liara, to see if there was any progress there.

"Find anything about Benezia?" the Commander asked, peeking over the young asari's shoulder. She glanced over, with an appreciative look.

"Only in reference to Feros," Liara replied, "Nothing to explain why she would cooperate with Saren in the first place, or what their plan might be."

Shepard scanned the display. The translation was garbled, but seemed to talk a lot about melding with the Thorian, whether or not it would be wise to do so directly and what side effects could be expected. There were sideways allusions to indoctrination, and the similarities between it and the control exercised by the Thorian. It was potentially useful information. Old data, but anything on the supposed mind control power at the fingertips of Saren was golden.

"Save it," the Commander said, "Maybe the DID or the Council's people can make something of it."

Liara nodded, copying the data over to her omnitool and streaming it to the Normandy's secure server. Satisfied, Shepard went to check on Ashley, Garrus and Wrex by the doors.

"Any company?" she asked.

"Nothing," grunted Garrus, "I can't believe I'm actually getting bored in the middle of Saren's base." He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, keeping his weapon squarely aimed through the open doorway to the left. Shepard shared his discomfort.

"Something's up, Commander," added Ashley, "They wouldn't just _let_ us get this far." Apparently, they had, but the possible consequences were not lost on the Chief. Or Shepard for that matter. The attack on Eden Prime and the geth assault had been planned years in advance, with every possible outcome carefully measured. While the Commander believed that the Alliance had put those plans into their worst case scenarios, she doubted that Saren was so stupid as to leave such setbacks out of his thinking. For the moment however, there was nothing to do but press onwards.

"I agree," replied Shepard, "Be ready for anything."

"I was born ready," complained Wrex, "I am krogan. Hurry up and find that turian already."

"Shepard, come look at this!" said Tali, her voice rising in excitement, her hands working furiously.

The Commander rushed over, hoping the engineer had found Saren. She quickly realised that wasn't the case, as the screen was filled with programming in a language she couldn't understand but recognised instantly. It was encoded in an unusual fashion, as far as she could tell. Shepard was unsure whether or not it was important.

"This is geth base code!" proclaimed Tali, practically bouncing on the spot, "We haven't been able to see how the geth have modified themselves over the centuries, because they never come outside the Veil, but here we have a fully working operating system as a template for the creation of new geth! Do you know what this means?"

"We can hack them more easily?" guessed Shepard, not quite sure. She had extensive tech training as part of the N7 courses, but it went as far as hacking drones and not much further. Geth base code wasn't her area of expertise by a long shot.

"Not only that, but it might be the key to defeating the geth and reclaiming Rannoch!" Tali continued, "We need to send this to the Migrant Fleet!"

"I'll give you a copy to send home when we get out of here," said Shepard, getting excited herself, "Grab everything you can. I'm sure the Alliance High Command will be very interested too."

Tali looked over, clearly hopeful that she had found the key to defeating the geth before Saren and the Reapers could act. Shepard felt like hugging her crewmate as the quarian ran the download. She had a home and a homeworld, it seemed right to help Tali take back hers. The good news did not stop there, however. Just as the data streaming finished, there was more.

"Commander, I've found him," said Kaidan from across the room, "Saren is waiting in the shuttle bay with a squad of asari!" The HUD on her helmet began showing a marker, as the lieutenant patched the directions to the target into her suit. Shepard's heart began pumping faster, the anticipation of the fight to come bolstering her physically.

"Double time it people!" roared Shepard, unslinging her shotgun again, as the others gathered to the door at pace, before padding out the door as fast as their legs could take them.

* * *

The gate to the hanger bay opened, revealing the outlines of stacked crates and pitch darkness. No sign of Saren, or his escort. Not a sound could be heard, not even the fighting above rumbled in the distance anymore. The ex-Spectre knew they were coming. It was the only explanation. It was a trap.

Shepard stepped forwards into the gloom, setting her visor to infrared heat-sight to allow her to spot any of the asari commandos she imagined were hiding around every corner. Wordlessly, her squad followed, weapons at the ready and biotics prepared to be unleashed in a split-second. Walking straight down the most direct path to the middle of the space as far as she could tell, weaving through the rows of boxes, the Commander had an unsettling thought. Her gut clenched with fear, and she held her fist up to stop the advance. Kaidan made his way to the front.

"What is it, Commander?" he asked quietly, crouching at the opposite corner to her own.

"The crates," whispered Shepard, "What do you think is in them?"

Kaidan's helmet twitched to the side as he thought about it for a second, before his entire body flinched away from the boxes he was leaning on. He had understood the problem. There was only one thing the geth would be storing in crates, and that was geth mobile platforms. The bodies of their soldiers, without the software to run them. Who could say when their minds would be downloaded?

Shepard waved Tali up. The quarian moved forwards, before crouching down with her shotgun.

"The boxes," said Shepard, "I think they're full of geth."

Tali glanced at her omnitool for a second, without any outward sign of fear. She finished checking its readings, before looking up again. Shepard felt a little better, thanks to the engineer's professionalism in the face of possibly being surrounded.

"I'm not detecting any active programmes, Shepard," she said, "If they're in there, they're not activated."

"Any way you can stop them from activating?" asked Shepard, "We can't move any further if geth are going to come from behind."

Tali waved her omnitool at the nearest crate, and an image of several geth in fetal positions packed together appeared on its screen. She began tapping away, doing … something. The text was in a quarian cursive. Shepard couldn't read it properly. After a minute, and with a nod to herself, the quarian finally waved her omnitool again.

"You were right, they were combat platforms," Tali explained, "I've hacked them so that they will turn on each other."

"For how long," Kaidan asked.

"Ten seconds," replied Tali, "Maybe."

"That doesn't seem like enough," said Kaidan, undoubtedly frowning under his armour. Shepard was getting impatient again. The chit-chat was annoying her more than usual.

"It's time we wouldn't have otherwise," she said, "Let's move."

"The geth can do a lot in ten seconds," Tali added, as Shepard signalled the others to approach.

The next intersection allowed two paths forward. The others paired off into two combat teams again, and they split up. Kaidan took his team to the right, leaving Shepard, Liara and Garrus alone again to proceed into the dark pathway to the left. Liara took point, where she could unleash her biotics without worrying about hitting either of the sharpshooters.

Shepard watched the young asari go through the motions she had been taught as part of her time on the Normandy, checking corners with brisk efficiency. Things were moving quickly, to the Commander's gratification. Her blood was rising with every step. Her hatred for Saren. It was a familiar sensation, one that had overwhelmed her once before but had allowed her to survive the worst the galaxy had to throw.

The radio crackled.

"Commander, Sovereign has arrived!" said Joker, through the haze of interference, "It's just blowing through our fleet like it isn't there!"

"Crap," said Shepard, "Enough sneaking around. Alenko, go loud."

"Aye, ma'am!"

Shepard nodded to Liara, and they picked up the pace. Their footfalls echoed loudly around the room, as more sounded from the other side of the space. The Commander hoped they were those of her crewmates, and not those of commandos, taking care to cover the approaches from that direction as they advanced.

When they cleared the crates, the huge space beyond was almost empty. There were docking ports for dozens of shuttles, and the place was large enough for some standard cargoships, but there was only one small vessel in sight, a couple of hundred yards in the distance. Figures lit up on Shepard's visor, their body heat overlaid onto the gloom. She couldn't tell if it was Saren, but who else could it be? She began closing the distance, coming level with Liara as they moved, Garrus following suit. A quick glance confirmed that Kaidan's team had arrived too, and were spreading out.

They were half way across the floor when the lights came on again.

The figures were revealed. Most were asari, in impressive looking environmental armour and packing an arsenal enough to wipe out a platoon. They stood at ease, weapons shouldered or cradled, just watching. They drew the least attention. Ahead of them stood a tall asari, in black armour with a transparent faceplate. She was the spitting image of Liara. It was Benezia. Yet Shepard's eyes were torn to the sight of the augmented turian, standing in his grey-silver armour and holding his heavy pistol at his side. She raised her weapon, speechless.

"Mother..." said Liara, hardly believing her eyes.

"Ah, Shepard," said Saren, turning to see the new arrivals as his gravelly voice projected from all around, "You are just in time."

The ground shook violently, a series of impacts rocking the room. Shepard staggered, struggling to regain her balance. It did not bode well. The asari and her crewmates lost their footing too, only Benezia and Saren seeming to remain entirely upright throughout. As the Commander stood up again, the hanger roof began to retract. The blue light of the sky poured down into the space, starting with a thin slit and expanding outwards.

Sovereign stood directly overhead atop giant metal limbs, red beams lancing into the Alliance titans hovering around, obliterating them in a single stroke. A ship like no other.

It was Shepard's breaking point.

She raised her automatic shotgun and fired from the shoulder, pacing forwards as she slung bursts at the traitor to the galaxy and his thralls. The entire squad opened up with all they had immediately; assault rifles, shotguns, pistols and biotic attacks flying at the enemy. Shepard's jaw clenched shut with concentration as she ploughed the fire as best she could, but it wasn't good enough.

The asari's shields held long enough for Benezia to hold out her hand and throw up an immense barrier, protecting the entire shuttle. The power of an asari matriarch stood against all the firepower, for the moment. It would for long enough to enable the escape, Shepard realised. The shuttle's doors opened, and the commandos filed into it.

The Commander stopped firing, as Saren and Benezia stepped inside the shuttle.

"Foolish human," Saren taunted, as he activated his omnitool and the doors shut. The transport dusted off hard, flying up towards Sovereign, chased by pot-shots from Garrus and Ashley. Shepard felt like collapsing to the ground, like smashing her fists against it until she broke her knuckles and wrists. He had escaped.

There was no time to do so, as rattling and banging started from behind. The geth were exiting their storage crates, grabbing weapons and advancing. As expected. Wrex tossed a couple of grenades, as Tali's hack started, to the Commander's relief. The geth began firing into each other at point-blank range, but she could tell it wouldn't be enough. They needed to run.

"Retreat," said Shepard, "Back off to the other side of the hanger, we'll get out the other way."

Miserable, she began to follow her own order, sprinting away from the firefight. If Saren lived, she needed to survive. So she could kill him in the most intimate and painful fashion possible.


	26. Chapter 21: High Command

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: First of all, apologies to all for the huge gap in releases for this. I was working on my Dragon Age fic "Outlander", which I had the idea of floating around in my head, interfering with my thought processes. Had to get that to paper, which is done now. _

_Secondly, thank you for all the reviews! Most of them have been highly complimentary, a few were obvious trolls and one was entirely negative without explaining why really. Apparently some people dislike Humanity Fuck Yeah as a genre, and others don't think a story is HFY unless its curbstomp all the time. Regardless of the tone, I appreciate anyone taking time to write them._

_A little crossover between Battlefield 2157, Wars of the Systems Alliance and this story for this chapter, but it's all comprehensible... I hope. Beyond that, plot is moving along nicely, and I hope you like it._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 21: High Command**

Arcturus Station, a five kilometre wide disk with docking arms four times the size protruding from it like horns. Docks, construction yards, ships coming and going... living space for personnel and their families. The nearest thing to home in the galaxy. Originally meant to be the Alliance Parliament's new home in the stars, under the watchful protection of humanity's fleets. Along came the First Contact War, and Arcturus became the citadel of the species. The politicians stayed on Earth, the military took over. The command and control headquarters of a rising power.

Shepard looked on from the bridge with fondness, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It had been several rough days since Solcrum, particularly when the Council had read her report and called her to account. The only thing that kept her sane after that had been her crew. Even Wrex had refused to lay the blame at her feet, though she still thought it should be placed there. Her memories of the place in front of her dampening her fury and guilt, she felt optimistic for the first time in a week. She smiled at her pilot, who smirked in return.

"Home sweet home," said Shepard, nodding at the sight as the Normandy stood off, awaiting a docking authorisation and instructions.

"The old bucket is looking well," said Joker, "Did you hear that I got to run rings around the turians here, before the Normandy was commissioned?" His pride at the incident was all over his grin, and the Commander was cheered up just a little more as she remembered to details.

"Anderson told me the story to convince me to come aboard," Shepard replied, "Hopefully we won't need your acrobatic piloting this time."

"You know, normally I'd complain about that, but this time I think I'm glad for a little downtime," said Joker, "Maybe a couple of the old Hab C guys are around."

"Don't drink too much," Shepard joked, "They called me here to sit in on a High Command briefing."

"Which means they probably have some errand for you to do," finished Joker, "Gotchya."

The comms panel lit up, and an authoritative voice pronounced itself in clipped tones.

"SSV Normandy, you are cleared for dock at Gate R23," said the space-controller, "Transmitting approach corridor now." The navigation data streamed in front of Joker, and he effortlessly began following the instructions by dancing his hands across the interface. Shepard sighed with a sense of relief, watching the ships fly past the window, sitting in their berths. It was safe and boring here, she could relax a little. At least until she was dragged in front of the chickenhawks.

Liara approached from behind and peered out of the windows, before glancing at Shepard.

"I did not know that the Alliance had such a large station," said Liara, "It is almost as impressive as the Citadel."

"Almost," repeated Shepard, "I grew up here."

"I can believe that," Liara replied with a smile, "The place looks exactly how I had pictured your home." The Commander frowned, not sure if it was a compliment or an insult to say that a naval base was her natural habitat. Though it was certainly true. She was a poor civilian at the best of times. It was the bearing, or so a journalist had once told her when she attempted to sneak by after Torfan.

The Normandy swung into the designated gate with ease, and the docking clamps padded onto the hull softly, holding the ship in place. Joker powered the ship's core down, as the walkway extended to the forward hatch. The hissing of pressurisation started. Shepard walked to the airlock automatically, and stood at attention to receive the dock security detail. It was instinct. Liara followed over, and took her hand.

"Just remember that what happened was not your fault," she said, "We had no way of knowing."

"I'm not sure I believe that," said Shepard, repeating what she had said a hundred times before, "If I had pushed harder..."

"I do not think we could have worked faster than we had," Liara replied, "Even if we had, Saren has Sovereign..."

Shepard cursed to herself at the mention of the damned superdreadnought. The doors hummed open, and the Alliance detail walked in. Liara released the Commander's hand, embarrassed to be caught by strangers at an intimate moment, allowing her to return the salute offered by the soldiers.

"Commander Shepard, the High Command is gathering for the briefing," said the sergeant in a polite, almost reverent tone, "In the mean time, the Admiral would like to see you."

Taken aback by the man's manners, which were far too polite and beyond what she was used to. Usually, it was fear or a sort of hero worship. Shepard wondered what the detour was about. Maybe the Navy wanted to coach her on what to say first, with the politicians coming? She maintained her cool, as all eyes remained on her.

"Very well, take me to Admiral Hackett," she said, keeping her questions to herself.

"It isn't Hackett we have been ordered to take you to, ma'am," the sergeant said flatly, "This way."

The detail began to leave, marching away into the station again. The formality was strange, but she was sure she would discover why soon enough.

"Enjoy the twenty four hours leave," said Shepard to both Liara and Joker, "Make the most of it, for me."

"No worries there, Commander," smiled Joker from his chair, "I'll show her around."

Shepard frowned at that, but there was no time to warn Liara about Joker and his ideas about leisure. The young asari was still quite innocent, one of the things that appealed to Shepard, so she was afraid her pilot's sensibilities hadn't been noticed yet. She jogged to catch up with the waiting sergeant, sure that she'd need to punish Joker in some way when she finally returned.

* * *

The trip through the station brought Shepard from the dockyard arms to the officers' quarters, which was very familiar territory indeed.

As a kid, she'd run through the same hallways with her friends, climbing into vents and jumping off high places where the artificial gravity was weak. It had been a lot of fun, and clearly still was, as the detail had to dodge at least three groups of children quite obviously attempting to do the same thing. She chuckled a little as they passed by pretending to be marines or pilots, startling her guards a little.

She was the Angel of Death. The Butcher of Torfan. It didn't quite fit her public image to watch and giggle as kids went playing, but her reputation was the only thing these men and women knew about her. But then, they didn't know how well-earned those titles were, as they had never seen her on a battlefield either.

They arrived at a door, the indicator glowing a pale red to show that it was locked. The sergeant pushed the bell button, and flashed his ID card over the scanner to announce who was knocking. There was a wait, which had Shepard rolling her eyes. Typical, that an Admiral would make them wait.

The indicator turned green after another minute or two, and they stepped into the quarters together. The first room was a large office, walls stacked with books on shelves, desk covered with data tablets, and a rather comfortable looking chair that had to be the sister of Shepard's own command seat on the Normandy's CIC. She walked over and touched the leather as she passed it towards the main attraction, enthralled by the sight.

The entire back wall was a glass window. Outside was a spectacular view of the drydocks on the inner side of the two 'horns' of the station, where Alliance ships were built, repaired and resupplied after battle. All of the berths were occupied, which didn't surprise Shepard. The Fifth Fleet had taken serious hits, and she had read reports of the crippled ships being brought back. The closest ship was one of the fleet carriers. Sitting at nearly two kilometres long, its angled lines sparking with the reconstruction work as a bubble of air was contained around parts of the hull for workers in light rad-suits to freely move about. The Commander squinted to see which ship it was, and soon spotted the identifying marks.

"_ATHENA_" lay across the side of the flight deck, along with a depiction of the goddess herself. Everything clicked into place. Shepard knew exactly who had called her, as there was only one person who could occupy an apartment with such a sight.

"Attention on deck!" roared the sergeant, causing a cacophony of boot-heel clicks from all parties, including the guest's own.

Hannah Shepard strolled into the room from a side door, glancing at the Commander with a grin on her face. She was dressed in formal uniform and wearing her red hair short. A generously sized cup of coffee was in her hand, which she held at waist height as she walked. The woman dominated the room, despite being smaller than her own daughter and everyone else present. She saluted the escort detail, and nodded to its leader.

"Thank you for bringing the Commander, sergeant," said Hannah, "You're dismissed."

The sergeant gave a quick nod, and with his duty done, led the others out. Hannah watched them leave, locked the door again and approached.

"Jane," she said, as they hugged, "How are you?"

"Better, Mom," replied Jane, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" asked Hannah, "I thought you knew I was here?"

"That you had been promoted," Jane continued, "I thought you were against ever leaving a ship-command."

"Rear-Admirals can still command from a ship," said Hannah, "I made sure of that, before accepting. It seems the consuls were very impressed with the report from Ket'osh, insisted I be given the chance."

"I guess we're both famous now," Jane grinned.

"I could have been famous a long time ago, not sure I want to be," sighed Hannah, "Maybe one day, I'll be able to tell you why that is."

"Shanxi?" asked Jane.

"Exactly," Hannah said, shaking her head, "All these years, and egos on the Citadel are still too large to bruise with the truth. Anyway, sit, this isn't just a social call."

The younger Shepard sat in the office chair, while Hannah dragged another from the side room to the front of the window. The Admiral sighed again, and rubbed the back of her head.

"How are _you_?" Jane asked, worried.

"It was a really bad concussion," explained Hannah, "But I'm healed up now, as I've said in my messages."

"Good, because the war isn't over," Shepard joked, trying to hide her concern.

"That's what your Aunt Mari said," Hannah replied, "She apologises she couldn't be here, by the way. She's stuck on Mars, doing trial runs on the Churubusco with the deterrence forces. Sends her love."

There was a pause, as the freshly promoted Rear-Admiral drank a gulp of her coffee.

"Anyway, Hackett asked me to talk to you before the briefing," said Hannah, her tone moving to a more official slant, "I would have ordered you here anyway, but there are some fears about how you'll react to some of the news in front of the politicians."

Jane cocked her eyebrows upwards. What news? "So they sent my own mother to cool me off? That's not insulting at all!" she said, hardly believing her ears, "Hackett must have lost his mind!"

"It involves the batarians" said Hannah immediately, "They've done... something. I haven't been able to find out what, all my contacts either don't know or have told me directly to stop prying. It isn't good, whatever it is."

"Of course it isn't good," said Jane, crossing her arms, "The four-eyed bastards are slavers and murderers by default." Her anger rose at the thought of the batarians getting away with whatever heinous scheme they had attempted. The sight of the slave warehouse she had liberated came flooding back to her with it.

"Well, whatever they've done, it's an act of war," said Hannah, "The Admiralty doesn't want you speaking out in favour of any military action when the subject comes up. One war at a time."

"Why do they even care what I think?" said Shepard, "I'm a soldier, not a politician."

"I asked Hackett the same thing," Hannah sighed, "Our name carries a lot more political weight now than before. The mess on Torfan, and now the battle over Ket'osh... If either of us were to come out in favour of war with the batarians in a military briefing or publicly, it would sway a lot of people. Particularly your word, _because_ it's the batarians."

"Great," said Jane, "This isn't going to be a standard meeting, is it?"

"Not even close, if what I've heard is true," replied Hannah, "I won't be there, but please promise me that you'll keep quiet. I happen to agree with the Admiralty."

"Of course you do, you're part of it now," smirked Shepard, "Okay, I promise. No war with the batarians, for the moment."

"Look on the bright side," said Hannah, "If you catch Saren and stop the geth, maybe you can declare yourself Empress. The journalists seem to think you could do the job."

Shepard laughed. She couldn't think of a worse job than leading the galaxy.

"My mom, the comedian," she said, "You and Joker should do stand-up together."

* * *

The hearing room was large enough for several dozen people, and was divided in two. At the front, behind a divider, the raised dais held the chairs for the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and the Armed Forces. The names of each member were written in white on a little black plaque in front of the desks. Most of the space was taken up by the gallery, rows of seats for journalists that were thankfully empty at that moment. Between the sections, two large desks sat, divided by the aisle. One for the Navy, one for the Army.

Shepard had been in this room before, after Torfan, when the 'pacifist' politicians had succeeded in calling a hearing on her actions there. Both the Navy and Army had backed her to the hilt, to the fury of those who wanted her to go to prison. She smiled as she remembered their complaints, that she was a war criminal and deserved to be handed over to the batarians for peace. The idiotic rambling of ideologues blinded by their dogma to the crimes of the enemy, and thankfully treated as such. Now, she was the first human Spectre, humanity's representative in any crisis situation.

A cough interrupted the general din of conversation, as the chairperson cleared her throat. Silence fell over the room, as the briefing got underway.

"_Matres et patres conscripti_, this closed session of the committee is now commenced," the chairperson said flatly, "Today, we gather to hear from the Army, the Navy, and the Defence Intelligence Directorate, to discuss the progress of the war and their plans for the next stage going forward."

A murmur of agreement made a round through the tables, accompanied by banging on surfaces. Shepard rolled her eyes, as the politicians began their game.

"The Committee recognises the Chiefs of Staff, Field Marshal Cassandra DeRuyter of Troop Command Europa, and Admiral Steven Hackett of the Fifth Fleet," the chairperson said.

"Alongside, for advisory purposes, the chair recognises the directors of the DID, Major-General Karla Haider and Rear-Admiral Federic Kohaku, Lieutenant-Colonel O'Rourke of the First Legion, Commander Shepard of the Citadel Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance, and Group-Captain David Anderson of the 63rd Scout Flotilla, Shepard's nominal superior."

Shepard noted each of the participants, all in dress uniform in stark contrast to her own fatigues. Hackett and Kohaku sat together at the Navy's desk, while Anderson sat with her to the side. DeRuyter sat alone at the other one, as Haider was perched with O'Rourke behind, looking over documents on a tablet. She knew the latter two were going to be the ones who delivered the news she was supposed to be quiet about. It was written on their faces. Both were angry.

"Field Marshal, could you please inform us of the current situation?" the chairperson continued.

DeRuyter stood up to her full height, which was considerable, and shuffled a few e-papers on her desk before speaking. She didn't like doing this, Shepard realised.

"Good news first, esteemed senators," said DeRuyter, her South African accent pronounced, "As of this morning, the geth have been driven from all major colonies including Eden Prime's mountain provinces, and ninety percent of minor colonies where they have previously landed. Despite the setback of Saren's escape, which this committee was briefed on four days ago, the geth expeditionary forces have been broken and have fled back to the Terminus Systems. All relay jump zones in the 'eastern' borderzone of the galaxy from the core to the Viper Nebula are secure, and the turians have set up pickets with the asari on the other side of the galaxy to prevent the geth from entering through there. The salarians have agreed to help patrol our side of the border. Our authorised colonies and space are now entirely secure."

The banging and sounds of agreement echoed through the room again, more enthusiastic this time. Shepard joined in, glad to hear that the invaders had been driven off. It cheered her up from the fact that Saren had escaped, after all. She was one of the last to stop, as the chairperson held up her hand to get silence once again.

"We've also captured significant data about geth capabilities, thanks to Commander Shepard," DeRuyter continued, "The DID Special Weapons Division believes it can rig countermeasures to disrupt geth targeting and military logic capabilities, if enough resources are committed to exploring the idea."

"What is the bad news?" asked the chairperson.

DeRuyter turned to Haider. The spymaster stood up and walked over to join the Field Marshal. Here it comes, thought Shepard.

"Due to the positioning of our fleets away from the Kite's Nest relays, the batarians have been emboldened," Haider said, her tone dripping with venom, "Three days ago, a unit of the Batarian External Forces landed on the asteroid X57 in the Asgard System, which was being transited to a stable orbit of Terra Nova, with the intention of crashing it into the surface of the colony."

Shepard sat in shock, as the room descended into anarchy. The attempt, if it had succeeded, would have been a greater atrocity than Mindoir or Elysium. It would have been an act of genocide. Even during the Verge Wars, when the Alliance had used nuclear weapons, the intention was never the deliberate targeting of huge numbers of civilians. There was always a political or military aim behind the use of such terrible devices. Not content with engaging in slavery and murder, the Hegemony had added the most diabolical crime to its modus operandi. A wave of rage flowed over the Commander, boiling her blood in her veins and urging her to stand up. To speak out.

The committee began asking questions over each other.

"_When will we respond?"_

"_Should we deploy the deterrence fleet to counterattack?"_

"_Can we fight the geth and the batarians at the same time?"_

DeRuyter listened until they calmed down, a scowl on her face. They quickly realised they were pissing the formidable soldier off, and quietened down to let her speak again. Shepard didn't blame them. She had met the Field Marshal before, and the woman was a force of nature.

"Lieutenant-Colonel O'Rourke and soldiers of the _Légion étrang__è__re _repulsed the batarians from the asteroid with heavy casualties," DeRuyter explained, "The Army stands ready to take the fight to the batarians at the earliest moment possible. However..."

The soldier's eyes turned towards the Navy table, narrowed and glistening with impatience. Shepard recoiled slightly, as Hackett stood up to speak. What had the old man done to earn such a look, she wondered.

"The Navy does not believe the time to finish the batarian threat has arrived," Hackett said, ignoring the stare from his counterpart, "The geth fleet still far outnumbers our own. We have destroyed or disabled maybe 5% of their total ship strength. We can't afford to begin a regional war while we're fighting a galactic conflict. One war at a time."

The Admiral had used the same line that he had used on Hannah Shepard, and Jane Shepard had to admit it was fairly convincing. Albeit dissatisfying. Grumbling erupted from the committee, clearly dissatisfied too with the response from Hackett. There was an exchange of papers, as the members communicated their wishes to their leader.

"Spectre Shepard," the chairperson said.

Shepard perked up, surprised to be referred to by her new job rather than her military rank. She realised it was deliberate when she saw the chairperson's face. It was a political ploy, designed to bestow greater weight to her opinion.

"Would you not agree that eliminating the batarian threat in our rear is not only a viable option, but a necessary step to victory in this war?

Every fibre of her being screamed at her to say 'Yes, annihilate them' as she stood up to respond. The dead of Torfan demanded it. An icy breath raced up her spine as she saw all eyes turn to her. She struggled to control her breathing for a brief moment, as she decided definitively. There was one thing the geth had that the batarians did not, the reason why they had to be defeated quickly.

"I defer to the Admiral," Shepard said, fists closed at her side, "We should concentrate on defeating the geth, as they are agents of both Saren and the Reapers. The batarians are weak, we can overrun them in days with our full fleets, once we emerge victorious from the Veil."

Anderson clapped her on the shoulder, smiling as she sat down. It felt warmer than before. Some of the committee did not look pleased, but most took the answer for what it was. To Shepard's relief.

"What remarkable discipline," said Haider, with a smile in her direction.

"Major-General, if we are not going on the offensive in the Kite's Nest, where are we on the attack?" said the chairperson, clearly disliking the interruption for her comment. Haider turned and gave the woman a dark look, which had the intended effect of putting the politician back in her place. Udina was right, the intelligence chief was not someone to be screwed with, Shepard realised. She had never seen a political figure so humbled in her life. There had to be more to it.

"We cannot attack anywhere, at present," said Haider, before she nodded to her own counterpart. Kohaku stood up to speak, his quiet reserve a distinct change from her aggressive style.

"As you know, the Terminus Systems are between Citadel space and the Perseus Veil. In the past four years, the pirate barons have been recovering their strength under new leadership, as well as the old predictables like Aria T'loak. In order to attack the geth, we would have to navigate no less than twelve relay clusters, clear them of threats, and liberate garden worlds in each cluster," Kohaku explained, "There are no shortage of threats either, not least the geth themselves, who are most likely hiding somewhere along our projected attack routes. We can accomplish this, but it would take a decade. We simply do not have enough ships, Senators."

"What about the deterrence fleet?" asked one of the committee, the man remaining impatient for any sort of action.

"Geth defences would likely interdict any attempt to use our WMD arsenal," said Haider, "Even trans-relay ballistic missiles would likely be shot down on approach to Rannoch, if quarian intelligence on the density of their defences is correct." She sounded doubtful that the information was reliable, to Shepard's surprise. Did she want to nuke Rannoch?

"I would also like to add that the quarians have been our friends since the dark days after Mindoir," said Hackett, his voice slightly raised, "Glassing over their homeworld would itself be an act of war against the Migrant Fleet, and it wouldn't guarantee the end of geth resistance. They are synthetics, they don't need garden worlds to survive as a collective."

An awkward pause reigned as no one knew what to say. Shepard felt her heart drop. A decade to end the war... Saren would make his move long before that, which meant it was on her to stop him in time. After seeing him escape on Sovereign, she wasn't sure she could achieve that.

"Hackett is correct, Senators," DeRuyter said, "We cannot hope to defeat the geth alone within the next few years, and we cannot do so without going to a nationalised total war economy."

Several senators cringed at the word 'nationalised', as if was blasphemy. Shepard frowned. They were more concerned about their share portfolios or corporate backers than the victory.

"However, we do not have to fight the geth alone," the Field Marshal continued, "On my recommendation and with the Admiralty's approval, the Department of Foreign Affairs initiated contact with the Migrant Fleet two months ago, after an initial meeting a month earlier between the consuls and Ambassador Zorah. Some of you will have heard of the proposals, but Consul deBankole has ordered that quarian plenipotentiaries be brought to Earth for final negotiations and to sign a treaty."

A few eyes flickered back to Shepard, knowing that Tali was on board her ship. 'Ambassador' Zorah was just the first friendly quarian that happened to be on hand, conveniently the daughter of an admiral. She suspected that the fact Tali was on her crew was another reason for her sudden political clout, as the chairperson moved in her seat for a moment.

"Then allow me to ask officially," she said, "You wish to bring the quarians to Earth and sign a treaty for what purpose exactly?"

"A permanent military alliance between humanity and the quarians," said Hackett, "We have a common enemy and existing military cooperation, we are both outsiders to the Council species in our own ways, and there are shared long-term opportunities for both of us in the Terminus Systems. It is a great move for the Alliance."

Shepard smiled and felt all the stress of the day fall away. It was finally happening, what she had hoped would happen but dared not hope. She couldn't wait to tell Tali.

"We have already organised it," said Haider, "_Spectre_ Shepard will depart Arcturus tomorrow to bring the representatives of the quarian people to Quito for final negotiations. We expect to sign an accord in days."

* * *

"I hope you had a good sleep after that briefing, Shepard. Bet you weren't expecting to be given an easy mission," said Anderson, "It wasn't my idea, by the way."

They were walking back to the Normandy. It was the morning, and there was a lot of bustle around the base in every sector they travelled through. War work had to be done, and the day started even earlier as a result. It was familiar to Shepard. The same had happened during the last war, when the batarians thought to invade but were thrown back. She smiled, realising they might be about to do the same to the geth.

"I was going to ask," Shepard replied, rubbing the fatigue out of her neck, "Escorting diplomats around isn't what I signed up for. Who's bright idea was it?"

"The quarians," said Anderson, "Admiral Zorah insisted, though he won't be coming."

"I guess Tali's messages to home made an impression," said Shepard, disliking the notion of an inspection.

"Well, you did just hand them something they had been chasing for centuries," Anderson said, dodging a deckhand, "They're bound to be grateful. I would want to know more, in their shoes."

"I'm going to have to wear my dress blues for the cameras," Shepard sighed, "It's gotten worse since my mother almost got herself killed."

Anderson laughed at that. Shepard looked at him blankly, not quite able to scowl at her superior.

"You should be proud to be from such an illustrious military family," he said, "I've known your mother since the First Contact War. It's the reason you were sent to me after Torfan. You're too alike, always spurning the spotlight. Except now you're both heroes, and this war needs heroes. Stop complaining."

"Yes, sir," Shepard replied, taking it as an order.

They entered Gate R23. The Normandy's human crew was gathered, walking on board or saying goodbye to friends who weren't coming along. They stood to attention as soon as they spotted the officers. Shepard put them back at ease, and hurried them onto the ship. Being late for such an important date would be rude, she thought, amusing herself a little. A thought occurred to her, as she recalled the past twenty four hours events.

"You said you have known my mother since Shanxi, correct sir?" she asked quietly.

"That's right," said Anderson.

"Do you know what she did in that war, sir?" she continued, "I know she was a frigate pilot, but that's all."

Anderson grimaced. "I know exactly what she did," he said, "But I can't say. They burned the files and plans, and anyone who knows about that mess is silent for very good reasons. Sorry."

Shepard exhaled, not getting the answer she had wanted or expected. She got over it quickly, returning her thoughts to the task at hand. Pressing Anderson wouldn't work, and her attention was soon grabbed by another unwelcome sight.

Major-General Haider was marching down the corridor, her huge and heavily armed escort in tow behind her. She appeared much as she had when she had come to take Liara on the Citadel; black hair flowing to her shoulders, leather coat down to her ankles, peaked cap with the Alliance eagle on the front of it, dress uniform underneath, as well as the outline of a heavy pistol bulging from her side. Shepard almost hung her head in exasperation at the sight, but restrained herself. No need to let Anderson know how much the woman got under her skin.

"Spectre, I'm glad to have caught you before you left," the Major-General said cheerily, "Anderson, I'm also glad you are here. Saves me some time."

"We're ready to assist you, Director," said Anderson, keeping diplomatic.

"Of course you are," smiled Haider, "When Shepard returns, we will need both your squadron and the Normandy for a special mission."

"We?" asked Shepard.

"Admiral Kohaku and I," said Haider, "It seems that he has finally located a persistent thorn in our side, and they're up to something. With the treaty negotiations ongoing, we can afford no upsets. You will solve this problem for us."

"But you're not going to tell us what the problem is?" asked Anderson.

"All in the fullness of time, Group-Captain, but I thought that simply springing the assignment on you without warning would be rude," Haider said, "Good luck with your errand, Commander."

With that, the Major-General turned on her heels and walked away, her escort parting perfectly to allow her passage between their number and filing into line behind her again. Shepard and Anderson looked at each other in confusion, wondering what they had just been volunteered for.


	27. Chapter 22: Gauntlet

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: Happy N7 Day folks! _

_In celebration, November is Mass Effect month, and all my ME stories will be getting multiple updates. _

_Also, this story will be getting an extensive edit in places I feel it is weakest. The first chapter has already been edited, somewhat._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 22: Gauntlet**

Gunnery-Chief Ashley Williams began disassembling her assault rifle, piece by piece. It was a daily ritual, an almost religious act on her part to set her up for the day. And what a day it was. In a matter of hours, the Normandy would pick up the Quarian delegation from the Migrant Fleet in orbit over Ket'osh. They would escort the diplomats from there to the colony of Quito, one of the worlds taken from the batarians six years earlier, for negotiations in secret. Success would mean victory in a matter of months, with a little luck and more than a little hard fighting. Failure would mean a decade of war, but no one was under any illusions that the talks would break down. Humanity wanted to win, and the quarians just wanted their home back. They had already been returned to one of their former worlds by the actions of Hannah Shepard. Blood had already been spilled to afford the opportunity to unite two species on the fringes of galactic politics as one military power.

Regardless of the momentous occasion close at hand, Ashley didn't let it distract her from her routine. This was difficult, as she had mixed feelings on aliens. She believed that humanity should stand on its own feet. She also knew that the geth probably couldn't be beaten by the Alliance alone. She had no doubt that the pukes in the newsrooms and extranet blogs would be complaining that the deal gave too much away to the quarians within hours of it going public. What she saw was the Alliance taking on a huge responsibility. There were only twenty million quarians in the universe, but they laid claim to territories about half as large as the entirety of humanity's own, except that their claims were located in the most dangerous regions of space even without mentioning the geth. Worries had entered the Gunnery-Chief's mind of endless wars in the Terminus Systems, just as the Reapers decided to return.

There was one bright spot, however, and the evidence of it was everywhere in the hanger-bay. Tali was surrounded by the engineering crew near the elevator, half of them supposedly on-duty, chattering away with them about the development. Mostly about how Shepard had told her that the Alliance would make this move, and that the war would be taken all the way to Rannoch itself. Ashley watched out of the corner of her eye, unable to stop smiling at the young quarian's own happiness. Most of the crew had the same problem. It was a good problem to have.

Two other residents of the hanger weren't joining the festivities, albeit for different reasons.

It was hard to tell, but Ashley was sure that Garrus was doing exactly what she was; continuing his routine of calibrating his rifle and maintaining the Mako, while throwing glances over his shoulder at the ruckus behind him. Turian body language was very hard to read, even after as much contact as Ashley had with Vakarian, but she thought he was grinning. She hadn't been the only person to take Tali under-wing. Adams, Vakarian, even Shepard seemed enamoured with Tali. It was hard not to be. She was a little too honest, got flustered at the slightest compliment, worked hard and fought hard.

The other permanent presence in the hold was less than impressed with the situation. He leaned against the wall by the lockers, groaning every few minutes with irritation. His head swivelled from the group to the far end of the room at random. Wrex was pissed off, it was obvious to anyone. Thankfully, the others remained largely oblivious to his mood, out of earshot of his short growls. Ashley listened to him as she completed the task of checking each part of her _Avenger_, as he got progressively more agitated. By the time she finished, she was compelled to call over Garrus.

"What's crawled up his ass?" she asked in hushed tones, "Is he going to be okay?"

"I noticed that he's been... jumpy since we left Arcturus," Garrus replied, rubbing the back of his neck, "But you're asking the wrong person. He isn't the chatty type, especially to someone like me." Meaning with turians. He wandered back to his station, having nothing more to say on the subject. Ashley shook her head, as the gaggle of engineers finally disappeared into the engine room, chaperoned by Adams. More curious than concerned, she decided to talk to Wrex. Better to get to the bottom of it.

The krogan attempted to cover up his irritation once he realised she was getting close, but Ashley saw right threw his dissembling. Wrex could be subtle when he needed to be, but this hardly qualified. The Gunnery-Chief crossed her arms and stood in front of him, as his eyes finally centred on her.

"Well?" Ashley said, joining him by the wall, "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Wrex replied, rather too quickly, "Nothing you can do anything about, anyway."

"Oh? What's that?" Ashley said, pressing on, "Bored that the Normandy is being used like a limousine?" It had occurred to her that Wrex wasn't very comfortable when there was no prospect of combat. Her first thought about his problem had been along those lines.

"That _is_ something," Wrex admitted, tilting his head to think, "But it's not why..." He stopped speaking suddenly. Ashley found this uncharacteristic. He almost never held his tongue.

"Go on..." she urged gently. Which caused the dam to break on the krogan's mouth.

"They're all celebrating," Wrex sighed, "The quarians are going to get their homeworld back. It's been centuries, and the only one I've ever came across that was worth a pyjak's ass is the little quarian we have with us..."

"So what's the problem?" asked Ashley.

"Shepard promised that the Alliance would free the quarians from their problems," the krogan said, "She knows all about my own people, she kept pestering me about it. Yet when I make it clear that _my_ people are dying, where is the promise to save _us_? You humans talk big, but it seems to me like you think of my people as nothing but cannon-fodder, just like the turians and salarians."

It was Ashley's turn to feel irritated. The krogan was on the verge of dangerous thoughts. His complaints seemed to miss the big point. She had too much respect for the old krogan to chew him out, not to mention the possible violent repercussions of doing so. She decided to go easy, or as easy as she could.

"The quarians have the largest fleet in the galaxy, we need a fleet to defeat the geth," the Chief explained, "You think for a second that we'd care about Rannoch if it wasn't for Eden Prime?" That wasn't strictly true. Thanks to Shepard's new status, Ashley knew that the Alliance had serious concerns about the geth for decades by this point. There were also serious political movements in favour of allying with the quarians, because the Council races' stranglehold on power and the long border with the Terminus Systems. Still, the negotiations wouldn't be happening if humanity didn't have something practical to gain.

"And the krogan would be entirely useless for the war?" said Wrex with a wave of his claw, "You need soldiers as well as ships, and we're the best in the galaxy. Or we would be, if we weren't led by complete fools. If we had a future. The Alliance could give us that, if they wanted."

"The entire galaxy would declare war if we cured the genophage, Wrex," said a voice from behind, "And we'd lose."

Ashley snapped up straight and bolted into a salute, as the Commander stepped around the krogan into view. They were barely an hour out from their destination, so Shepard was in her dress-blues. The hope that she wouldn't run into the conversation disappeared instantly, but it seemed inevitable in retrospect. Tali and Shepard hadn't spoken since departure. The Gunnery-Chief watched with trepidation, as Wrex turned his head away, unable to deny the point made.

"Also, who do we give the cure to?" Shepard continued, "I've read briefings on the situation on Tuchanka, a cure would mean civil war. You told me it's a mess yourself."

"The warlords would begin campaigns to become top varren, knowing that they could replace casualties..." Wrex admitted, "But that's only if we cured everyone at once."

"I don't think the Alliance is going to back a coup by one warlord either," said Shepard, "It's not like I think the genophage was the right thing to do. If I had a cure right now, I'd figure out some way to use it. I don't, no one does. We can't fight the geth _and_ the turians over something we don't have." Not yet anyway, Ashley smirked inwardly.

"I get it," said Wrex, "But excuse me if I don't get a little riled up by all the celebrating. I have a lot on my mind." The krogan was happy for Tali, the Gunnery-Chief realised. He just couldn't bring himself to express it, not when his own were in such dire straits. Ashley felt a little more sorry for him.

"I'm sure your time will come," Shepard said, "But for now, I need you calm. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, yeah, I can stow the grumbling for now," said Wrex, "I'm just tired, is all." The krogan walked away towards Garrus, muttering under his breath. Shepard blew a breath out from her lips slowly, glad to have calmed things. For which Ashley was very grateful.

"That was close," she said.

"Tell me about it," replied Ashley, "He's touchy on the subject."

"I think we would be, if the Council sterilised us," Shepard said, straightening the jacket of her uniform.

"Still plenty of time for that," Ashley added in a serious tone, "I'm sure the salarians have something cooked up for us if we get too uppity." Shepard nodded, agreeing that it was very likely the case.

"On the bright side, Sur'kesh would become a radioactive hellscape if we did start having stillbirths," said Shepard with a shrug, "Mutually assured destruction is useful." The Gunnery-Chief couldn't help but agree.

"And we could always still breed with the asari," added Ashley with a touch of humour. Shepard let out a chuckle at that. Everyone knew what was going on between her and a certain archaeologist, and the Commander was open about it to begin with. Almost no one in the Alliance Navy had qualms about that sort of thing. It was half the reason the men joined up for the Navy rather than the Army in the first place, if the talk around the bunks was any testament.

"Don't let Liara hear you say that," Shepard laughed, "She'll turn purple." They both laughed a little more, before the Commander walked it off towards Engineering. Undoubtedly to talk to Tali.

Ashley wished her the best of luck silently, returned to her worktable, and began a diagnostic of her kinetic barriers. There would be talking soon, but the fighting hadn't stopped either. Everything would need to be ready.

* * *

The debris field glowed brightly in the holographic projection, a representation of a huge belt of twisted and broken ships, punctuated by clouds of metal shards and plastic. It was no wonder the Normandy couldn't simply FTL straight to intermediate polar orbit over Ket'osh. The space around it was now a minefield of obstacles, such that there wasn't a computer in the galaxy that would allow a ship to pass using its full speed. At geostationary orbits and low orbit, space was filled with the hulls of Alliance cruisers and frigates, as well as the recovery ships from both the quarians and the Alliance Civilian Reserve. Out past the moons, it was the geth's vessels that littered the spaceways, attended by research vessels, again from both species' navies.

The Migrant Fleet itself was spread throughout the system. Most were in orbit of the gas giant, where the Fifth Fleet had been stationed before the battle. Almost all of the heavy ships were at the relays, guarding them, and had directed the Normandy on to the homeships and factory vessels between the two debris fields. Where they could hide between the carnage of the previous battle, and flee from if the geth returned in greater numbers.

Shepard inspected the scene in front of her from the command chair on the raised dais of the CIC with no small amount of interest. She could see immediately why the entire galaxy was talking about the fighting. It was the largest space battle since the Kite's Nest, and one of the largest for centuries. Her mother's actions had grown the interest on top of that. The quarians were even talking about renaming the gas giant "Hannah" in her honour, according to Tali. The newly minted Rear-Admiral had made an impression, to her daughter's amusement. It wasn't everyday you get a planet named after you.

Joker swung the ship over the outer wreckage belt, relative to the planetary plane, and towards the large collection of vessels that were at the heart of the quarian race. The hologram updated as the sensors registered their presence. Most notable were the liveships. The utterly massive, residential ships containing the most essential facilities for life in the fleet. Some were the ancient quarian design, with giant rotating biodomes, containing food processing and medical facilities. Others were far more recent human designs; Aphrodite-class colony ships, based on the same class of fleet carrier that Hannah Shepard had commanded to victory in the same place. The same type that had been destroyed over Feros... which was another parallel that couldn't be shaken off easily. There were many smaller ships too, many of human origin. All signs of the cooperation before the Eden Prime War began between the two species.

The Commander thought it right that the relationship was about to be taken to the next logical stage. It was also a great day for a certain quarian engineer. Tali had been ecstatic the whole way here, and stood with the rest of her crew around the CIC. It was a good day, Shepard decided, as the comm pings started up. The Normandy began its approach on the fleet perimeter.

"Unidentified vessel, state your registry and business," said a disembodied voice, tinted with a quarian accent, "Or prepare to be fired upon."

"This is SSV Normandy, SR-1-ANV5412," Joker replied, "En route to the Rayya for pickup."

Shepard waited as the acknowledgement came back, followed by a long pause as the information was verified. It was a mere formality of course. The fleet knew she was coming. No ships had turned to intercept as far as she could tell. Still, it wasn't like the celebrations had begun on their side yet either. The negotiations were still a secret.

"Very friendly," remarked Joker from the helm, "No red carpet, threats to shoot us..." Typical Joker, in other words.

"No need to tell the geth what we're up to," Shepard replied, "They might do something if they found out."

"Yeah, I know, but..." Joker began.

"SSV Normandy, you are cleared to Rayya Emergency Dock 101," interrupted a different space-controller, "Approach corridors transmitted. Welcome." Joker spluttered a thank you, before shutting up and taking the Normandy in. Shepard breathed her relief. It was all going smoothly, so far. The last thing she wanted was some faux pas.

"It's usually much harder, Joker," Tali added, "Entering the Fleet, I mean."

"Yeah, well, we did just give you guys a planet," Joker said, "It would be nice to simply say 'Hey guys, welcome to the victory party. Park here and bring beer'. But no, we're stuck with death threats and demands for registry information."

"Just get us there already," Shepard ordered, rolling her eyes, "We can discuss victory parties after we've actually won."

"Yes, ma'am."

The ship flew up to the Rayya, the largest liveship and the beating heart of the Migrant Fleet. The huge dome, being in perpetual motion, didn't have any docks. The extended tail section, a hallmark of many of the quarians' older vessels, housed most of population and the 'port' areas. Shepard could see many shuttles and small cargo ships coming and going on the hologram, many of them Alliance-spec. Ket'osh wasn't exactly a great place to fill up on essentials, so the Navy was pulling some of that weight for the quarians while they helped with the salvage work. The Commander was sure that some of the vessels written off by the Alliance would probably be seeing service in the Migrant Fleet. She couldn't imagine having to live like that, and hoped she could help end the need for the quarians to.

The docking clamps closed on the Normandy's airlock, signalling that the time had come.

Shepard sighed and stood up from her seat. After a motion for her team to make their way to the airlock, she descended the dais and made her way to Pressly. The XO stood briefly to attention, and leaned in after a wave of her fingers to do so.

"Is everything ready?" Shepard asked.

"Yes, the mess hall has been outfitted appropriately," Pressly replied, "And the crew has been told it's off limits for the duration."

"Good," said Shepard. She would have offered her own stateroom for the dozen hour trip, but it was a huge mess. The web of evidence, pieced together on pictures, paper and dataslates, was in a very particular order. Cleaning up would have meant destroying her work on finding Saren. Work that she had put considerable hours into, with the help of Vakarian and Alenko. Saren and Benezia had quite a paper trail, and the Commander believed their location was buried in it.

A hiss announced the opening of the airlock. Shepard flinched, . She hadn't expected it to open so soon. Quarians not waiting for extremely thorough decontamination was unheard of. She took off at a jog, her view of the guests entering obscured by the crowd of her team.

"Aunty Raan!" said a delighted Tali from behind the group.

The team parted as Shepard approached. Ashley and Kaidan saluted in their own white-highlighted dark-grey Army dress uniforms, lining up opposite the opened door. The others swept aside at random, finding any nook as she passed.

Tali was hugging another, smaller quarian, one with grey-yellow geometric designs on her grey envirosuit and hood. The airlock's outer door hissed closed, directing Shepard's attention to the two other quarians. A still-smaller female in a black suit, and a tall, impressively built male wearing a grey-yellow tone. Shepard rubbed her palm. The delegation was less numerous than she had been informed of. She hoped that was a sign that the quarians were being cautious about secrecy, rather than any sign that the negotiations were viewed badly.

Tali detached herself from her hug, and stepped back to make an introduction.

"Shepard, this is Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay," Tali said excitedly, "She is family, a very close friend of my father and mother. Aunty Raan, this is Commander Jane Shepard vas Normandy."

"A pleasure to meet you," Raan said, holding out her hand to be shaked, "I am the leader of this plenipotentiary group. I've read Tali's reports. Your reputation precedes you, Commander."

"The pleasure is all mine," Shepard smiled back as she shook the offered hand, "Welcome to the Normandy." The DID report said that Raan was the moderate admiral on the Admiralty Board, the pragmatic one. She trusted the report, considering it was most likely written up after conversations between Haider and Tali on the Citadel. No surprise to the Commander that she was selected to lead. She was the kingmaker vote, the one who could sway the others but be relied upon to maintain objectivity.

Raan indicated to the other two quarians behind her, causing the large male to step forward.

"And this is Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema," continued Raan, as Shepard and Gerrel shook hands somewhat awkwardly, "He commands the Heavy Fleet."

"You look just like your mother," Han'Gerrel said, with what Shepard could only assume was a smile, "Your actions are also well-known. I'm glad to have been able to meet you under these circumstances." Han'Gerrel was the war hawk on the Board. A military hardliner, most of the DID reports on him came from turian sources. He often made trouble near the borders of the turian enclave colonies near Illium, over asteroid and gas giant resources. He had advocated taking back Rannoch from the geth for almost his entire career, according to Tali, and was the most obvious supporter of a military pact. Shepard liked him already.

"I understand you didn't get to talk to her for very long," said Shepard, remembering the comms holo that was now making the rounds on the extranet, "Good to have you here."

Finally, the last member of the delegation stepped forward, her arms crossed and not moving from that position. She barely glanced at Shepard, instead seeming to scan the crew from Joker in the cockpit to Wrex skulking in the back.

"Admiral Jalu'Xamos is currently indisposed, so she has sent her top scientist in her place," Raan explained, clearly disappointed that it was the case, "This is Chief Engineer Daro'Xen vas Moreh."

Xen breezily waltzed towards the cockpit, hips swaying as she took in the details. She tapped at a few of the haptic interfaces, mostly the secondary systems, before turning around again. Shepard couldn't help but narrow her eyes at the behaviour. Thankfully Joker was watching with intense, rather unprofessional interest, which did lighten her mood slightly once she noted it.

"This is a very interesting ship you have here, Commander," Xen said smoothly, "I look forward to seeing the engine room." Shepard resisted the urge to snort her amusement at the woman's forwardness. She had known someone who was more or less hostile to the negotiations was coming, but intel had suggested it would be someone called Zaal'Koris. This Xen was an entirely unknown factor, but the Commander assumed that she was still the foil to Han'Gerrel.

"I look forward to showing you it, Engineer Xen," Shepard replied, crossing her own arms, "_After _we sign a treaty to defeat the geth."

"Ha!" declared Han'Gerrel, "I knew I was going to like you, Shepard."

Xen looked taken aback, which was quite a feat, given the full-face mask she was wearing. "_Chief_ Engineer Xen, Commander," she corrected, "I don't think you would appreciate people getting your rank wrong, would you?"

Shepard almost pointed out that she was a Spectre, so it didn't matter anymore what rank people mistook her for, but thought better of it. No point in annoying the guests.

"Well, if you wouldn't mind following Gunnery-Chief Williams and Lieutenant Alenko to the mess, you can get comfortable for the trip," said Shepard, "We're expected on Quito in about thirteen hours."

* * *

It took another half hour to clear quarian traffic control for departure. Traffic jams around the Rayya were the cause, as salvage work on the two wrecked fleets continued apace. Shepard, having escorted her guests to their temporary quarters, returned to her command dais and entertained herself by watching the flow pass by on the holographic projector. It was strangely calming. Probably because she wasn't in a rush to one combat zone or another, which had become the norm over the past few months. The only R&amp;R she had experienced was brief stops at the Citadel, which was hardly the most relaxing place with journalists on the prowl.

"Departure cleared," Joker reported, "Taking us out."

Shepard felt like she needed to see more. She'd be hearing about it for the rest of her life, the battle her mother had won.

"Joker, take us past the outer debris field..." she commanded, "I want to take a look for a few minutes."

After a pause, Joker finally responded.

"Sightseeing, Commander?"

"Something like that," Shepard replied, shifting in her chair, "Make it happen, Flight Lieutenant."

"Aye, Ma'am."

The Normandy powered away from the Rayya, and filed into the queue of ships leaving for the mass relay. After a few minutes, it broke off from the others and accelerated towards the huge band of broken hulls. Everywhere, there were the recovery ships, some quarian and some human, picking the bones of the 'dead'. The shattered hulls of insect-shaped cruisers and frigates spiralled around each other, influenced by each other's gravity, while orbiting along the same trajectory as the moon they had rallied around. The telltale marks of torpedo hits covered most of them, hundreds of them. A single Alliance fighter could carry three such weapons, and frigates could launch at least twice as many at a time. Other ships were blasted to pieces, most likely from the quarians' own fleet.

Shepard exhaled her approval of her mother's handiwork, but felt a cold clutch in her gut over the cost. She had almost lost family behind this. With that, she had seen enough.

"Okay Joker, take us out," said Shepard.

"Migrant Patrol Fleet, this is Normandy departing," Joker said over the comms, "Thanks for the party."

A brief commburst came back, and the ship began to turn towards the primary relay to take its precious cargo to the conference to end the geth. What happened next would suggest that the synthetics knew that their doom was upon them.

"Commander... we have three targets on a rapid intercept course!" Pressly reported loudly, "Closing from the far end of the debris field!"

Shepard searched the hologram for the contacts, and found them quickly. They glowed bright red, angrily approaching from behind the screen of colder wrecks and the warm but stationary civilians. There was only one group this could be. The fight had come.

"Action stations!" Shepard shouted, "Load torpedoes!"

"Action stations, action stations," repeated Pressly, his voice echoing through every speaker, "Set combat condition throughout the ship."

"Should I go to Tantalus or should we rabbit to FTL?" asked Joker, his voice level with concentration.

"Neither, we can't run from this fight and they'll be in LADAR range soon," Shepard replied, "Take us into the debris field, then we can go to stealth."

The Normandy responded to its pilots touch immediately, swinging its nose away from open space and into the floating cloud of ship carcasses. Shepard clenched her jaw as Joker made a series of intricate weaves between the hulls of six geth cruisers, passing what seemed to be inches away from crashing into them. Once the movement was complete, the regular engines died and the Tantalus drive started up. They were now invisible to the enemy, at least for the moment, though the enemy were now out of sensor contact as well.

"Joker, put us in that patch of sheared metal to two o'clock high," Shepard said, indicating it on the hologram, "It should stop them getting a good LADAR contact when they follow through."

"Leaving their asses hanging out for us to kick," completed Joker, "Got it."

Shepard tensed up, impatient for the enemy to come. It was always like this when waiting for the enemy's move. She almost jumped out of her skin when a comm window to the quarian delegation opened up to her side.

"What is going on Commander?" Raan asked.

"Geth frigates were playing dead in the debris field," Shepard replied quickly, "They must have hid until we came along." That's what we get for broadcasting the ship's name on an open frequency, she thought, annoyed with her own complacency.

"Have you requested aid from the Fleet?" asked Han'Gerrel, "Three frigates is hardly any real threat."

"The civilian ships have already begun broadcasting maydays," said Shepard, glancing to her displays to make sure that was in fact the case, "But we had no choice but to hide in the wreckage, so it's likely that the geth are as hidden as we are from outside sensor sweeps."

"So we're on our own," said Xen, "Wonderful. Why didn't you simply jump to FTL and relay the information?" Anger rose up in Shepard's throat.

"I had this idea about not leaving twenty quarian salvage ships to the mercy of the geth!" said Shepard grimly.

A beep indicated a new close contact, and the Commander looked up to the hologram. Through the haze of their cover, the heat bloom of a ship edged its way forwards.

"Excuse me for a moment," Shepard said, "Gunnery station, two torpedoes on target!"

"Torpedoes away!" said Gunner Draven, flicking her hand down the launch activation sequence.

It only took a second for the launched weapons to blow through the cloud in front and into the geth frigate. Its shields were no use, as to be expected at such a close range. The torpedoes struck the 'head' and carapace sections. The former disintegrated as the dark energy singularity detonated on the outside of the hull, ripping the metal to shreds as the gravitational forces acted on it. The latter collapsed from within, centred on the spot where the torpedo had punctured the hull, before the H fuelcells decided to explode. Pieces of the vessel blew off in various directions.

Shepard didn't have much time to celebrate however. The hologram indicated that the wrecks of two destroyed cruisers were now moving towards the Normandy at an increasing speed. Panic hit her like a slap.

"Joker!" she called.

"I know, I know!" the pilot replied.

The Normandy moved away from the trap as quickly as it could while remaining in stealth mode. It almost wasn't fast enough. The two cruisers collided with each other mere metres away from the rear of the ship, the kinetic barriers keeping the worst of the result from damaging anything important. Shepard breathed her relief and had a little laugh.

"That was a little close, Flight Lieutenant," she said, "Bring us about."

Joker complied, as the heat signatures of the geth frigates emerged from behind the dead cruisers.

"Torpedo launch detected," droned the ship VI, "GARDIAN defences activated."

The Normandy fell away from the attacks, as its rear laser battery opened up on the offenders. Shepard watched with little interest. The geth didn't have very sophisticated torpedoes. They were short range only, easier to dodge and easier to shoot down. They generally didn't need them, when their fleet was so large they could simply outshoot any opponent. Normally. They also didn't die, which meant their frigates could attack in waves. Sure enough, the geth torpedoes came on and the Normandy's automated defences shot them down.

The problem came when the geth guns began to join in.

"Kinetic barriers at 82%," reported Pressly.

Screw the running crap, Shepard thought. There was no way she could get out of LADAR range in time to survive. She scanned the hologram for the answer. Simply turning around and fighting would be suicide. They were just barely out of the geth's GARDIAN range, and the ship wouldn't take laser hits well. It wasn't like a carrier, with twelve feet of ablatives to protect it. Luckily, she spotted an opportunity. A risky one.

"Target here, all remaining ordnance," she ordered, sending the target information to the gunnery station.

If Shepard had been anyone else, she had no doubt there would have been questions over targeting a wreck rather than the enemy. However, the crew reacted immediately and without qualms. Joker spun the Normandy around for the optimal firing poisition and Ensign Draven fired. The group of torpedoes swung away and into the nearest geth cruiser, warping it and sending it spinning.

Straight into the geth frigates.

The contacts disappeared, but there was no way they could have dodged completely. Pleased that her taking a page out of the geth playbook had worked, at least temporarily, Shepard knew that she needed to get out of the debris ASAP. Who knew if there were more sleeper ships, waiting. Or if one or both of the frigates were merely damaged. She wasn't going to wait around to find out.

"Joker, take us out," she said, "Full military thrust, no stealth."

The ship began moving faster, turning away from the enemy. Most of the obstacles in the way were smaller now, more easily navigated. Shepard's eyes were glued to the hologram, her fears fighting with her hopes that the enemy was gone.

She cursed as one of the geth frigates put in a reappearance, just as her hopes began to win out.

"One contact, Commander," Pressly said, "Should we fight it?"

Just as he spoke, the Normandy emerged from the debris.

"No need," Shepard smiled, as a rash of new contacts erupted on the hologram. Six quarian cruisers lead dozens of frigates, bearing down on the debris with a vengeance. The Normandy's IFF had already been tuned for recognition by the Migrant Fleet, which left one other heat signature to shoot at.

The entire formation did just that, mass accelerators sending slugs into the last enemy's position in waves, shattering any nearby cover and creating a cage of hypervelocity metal.

Shepard slumped into her chair, comfortable and entirely satisfied as she took in the moment. The frigate attempted to manoeuvre, to make targeting more difficult. It was completely futile. And entirely enjoyable.

The Commander didn't hear the comm window calling her repeatedly, until Liara's voice said "Shepard!" Awoken from the trance, she found that the asari had joined the quarian admirals in the viewscreen, all of them looking puzzled.

"Have we won?" Liara asked.

Shepard just smiled.


	28. Chapter 23: Hades' Bloodhounds

**Chapter 23: Hades' Bloodhounds**

"Welcome to Quito, Admirals," smiled Alexander deBankole, "On behalf of the Human Systems Alliance, I am glad have the honour to begin negotiations for a greater pact between our two peoples."

Raan extended her hand, and the Consul shook it rigorously. The cameras were watching for posterity, as the talks were still entirely secret to everyone except the Citadel Council. A fact for which Udina had enjoyed a good grumble. Apparently, delivering that news was a thankless, unenviable task. The turians were furious, a fact that amused Haider to no small degree.

The pair of them stood to either side of Shepard as she watched the formal greeting, directly in front of the cameras behind the actual event. Udina with his perpetual scowl, Haider with a satisfied smile. The sun was pouring down from the sky, onto the tarmac and cluttered ships of Quito's main military spaceport, as well as the faces of an Alliance honour guard. The Normandy hovered nearby among the other military vessels, on standby for a quick dustoff.

The temptation to sigh loudly or escape filled Shepard, but she resisted it. It would have been unseemingly, or in the case of escaping, futile. The diminutive spy chief had cheerily informed the Commander that any fleeing would result in her bodyguard taking measures. Shepard remained cool, while quietly wishing she had her shotgun. Wrex's remarks about a chained varren seemed oddly appropriate.

Until the Consul approached her with the quarians. Shepard stood up bolt straight by reflex, and saluted her Supreme Commander. She had no desire to be even thought of as slouching in person in front of one of humanity's best.

"Commander... or is it Spectre now?" said deBankole with a smile, "Doing well, I hope?"

Shepard was a little confused by his informality, but decided she better answer quickly. One of the two leaders of humanity wasn't someone to keep waiting.

"Commander is just fine, Consul," she replied, eyes staying forward, "I haven't caught Saren yet, so I could be better, sir." A fact that grated on her nerves more and more every day.

"Indeed, Commander,"deBankole agreed, "I wish you all the luck in the universe, on that count."

"Thank you, sir," said Shepard, feeling she meant it.

"I am sure she will find him," Raan said, "She showed remarkable insight when she saved our lives and those on board our salvage ships."

"It was nothing, ma'am," Shepard replied, "Just doing my job."

"You really are too modest sometimes, Shepard," said Haider, "Take the credit, you'll need it for when you climb the ranks."

The Commander had no wish to climb anything and grimaced, eliciting a laugh from deBankole and Raan both. The Consul turned to Haider, and shook her hand.

"Still as brutally honest as always," he said, "Too bad you're on Dennison's team."

"I like to win, sir," Haider replied flatly, which earned her another laugh.

The exchange flew entirely over Shepard's head. It was some political thing, she knew, but what the details were, who knew? She reminded herself to ask Alenko when she had a spare moment. She didn't follow politics, she believed her role was for someone to point out something to destroy or save and for her to go do it. The legitimacy of who was doing the pointing depended on the intent, in her mind, not the politics.

"Good luck, Commander," deBankole said, "I believe you have another task. Haider will explain the details."

With a nod from Raan, the two leaders returned to their advisors and began walking away to waiting shuttles, the honour guard filing away after them. Shepard took a gulp of air. She began to relax slightly. The angry white glow of the cameras' lights swivelled to follow the more important individuals. Haider stretched, removed her hat and held it out to indicate for them to walk back towards the Normandy again. Shepard obeyed, falling into a slow walking pace beside her.

"I would have liked to sit down with some coffee to explain things, but matters have come to a head," Haider said, holding out a data pad, "All the gritty details are on this. Anderson will meet you on-site."

"What's the hurry?" Shepard asked, taking the pad, "Why can't you mobilise another N7 team to go in first?"

Haider clicked her tongue, her face turning sour at the question. "Have you heard of Cerberus?" the spymaster asked quietly, as if someone could be listening.

The Commander's brows arched in surprise, her curiosity peaked. "Human supremacist terrorists," Shepard replied, "I remember something about an attempted assassination of the US President a while back? That's all I know."

"Far more dangerous than mere terrorists, I'm afraid," Haider said, "They control most of the human-majority independent colonies in the Terminus. They have a strong navy and army at their disposal, and they're building more ships. Our fault, we let those colonies go independent after the war with the batarians. Well, it's really the fault of the pacifist s_chweinhunds_ in Parliament. The group assassinated Pope Clement XVI and a turian general with a reputation for advocating war with humanity, the batarians, anyone who threatened the balance of power... A few days ago, a Marine strike team working on Admiral Kohaku's orders was attacked by thresher maws. They were following a signal that should have led them to a Cerberus facility."

Shepard felt the air knocked out of her, as she made a immediate connection in her mind.

"Akuze!" she said, "Don't tell me..."

"We believe so," Haider confirmed, "Akuze was Cerberus using the Alliance to study thresher maws, via their contacts in the military itself. Contacts I purged once I was appointed to the intelligence high staff, but not before they got what they wanted. This time, they're sending a message to Kohaku, to not interfere via the Corsairs. We had a plan working for a while to disrupt their shipping."

The Commander almost admired their gall. The Alliance had built a reputation of zero tolerance towards that kind of open defiance, yet Cerberus was still around. The fact it was a human group was the key factor there, she realised.

"That's clever of them," Shepard declared, "I met at least one of the veterans from Akuze on Feros, he's never going to forget it. Helluva way to send the message."

"I know," Haider said, "I can't call out the cavalry on this because Cerberus have people in many units of the Army and Navy. The only two places I know are clean are my own part of the DID and your ship."

Shepard stopped walking.

"How do you know that we're clean?" she said, "My reputation is pretty anti-alien. Shouldn't I be a suspect on a list somewhere?"

"Aside the fact that you're screwing an asari, you mean? Though that doesn't necessarily mean anything," Haider smiled, "I shot the man they intended to send to recruit you, and they never tried again. If any of your crew are sympathetic to the cause, they've hidden it well enough so I can't figure them out. They won't be able to warn anyone in time either, provided you go straight to Cerberus' base without stopping."

Shepard nodded, ignoring the comment about Liara as an attempt by the Major-General to get a rise out of her. She resumed walking towards the Normandy, more enthused by the prospect of getting off of Saren's trail now that she knew the reason why. It seemed worthy.

"What's the mission?" the Commander asked.

"I trawled relay traffic reports for ships known to be used by Cerberus, and caught a break," said Haider, "Combined with information recovered by the team that found Kohaku's marines and intelligence recovered from other Cerberus outposts, we found their base within our own space. Your job is to destroy it and get out. It won't be easy for such a small team, but you're what I have to work with."

The Commander felt that the troubles might be a little overstated, but didn't show it. No group from the Terminus, human or otherwise, could possibly stand up to the Alliance, she thought.

"Understood, Major-General," Shepard said, as they reached the Normandy's ramp. Wrex, Ashley and Garrus looked on from the top, and the Commander began to climb to clue them in.

"One more thing, Commander," Haider shouted. Shepard looked back down, and found the woman wearing a genuinely sad expression.

"Kohaku has been missing for twelve hours."

* * *

The monitor feed was filled with particulate matter, a haze of dull colours that barely allowed the light from the local star to pour through and prevented anyone from seeing more than a couple of dozen metres ahead. The Mako rumbled forwards cautiously, careful to avoid pitfalls or volcanic vents, of which Nepheron had many. Its sister followed directly behind, moving where it moved and trailing the guide lights precisely. The pair rolled along towards the objective.

Liara didn't know what they'd find there, only what they had all been told on the way. There was a base underneath a crater. They knew it was protecting something important, as it was heavily guarded. The experience intrigued her, a reminder of her old days on digs in hard-to-reach places, with the added and greater threat of combat. Except this time, they would be going to destroy rather than preserve.

Shepard had given a grim briefing on the situation. It was likely that unless they were stopped, Cerberus would attempt to sabotage the human-quarian negotiations once they went public. That an Alliance admiral had gone missing was proof enough of their displeasure at the interference with their operations at such a critical time.

The Commander's face washed over with its familiar stoney determination as she announced that the Normandy would have no support for several hours, while Anderson's ships gathered at Arcturus to join the fight. For her part, Liara was confident they would triumph, but she also realised that she was no soldier. How things would actually play out was anyone's guess, but as long as Shepard was determined, there was nothing to worry about.

"It's like soup out there," Ashley commented. The Gunnery-Chief was scanning the surroundings, but all returns came back like a snow flurry.

"Our comms with the Normandy are being disrupted too," Shepard added with a frown, "Not good." She tapped the console to her side, keeping one hand on the controls.

"That's not surprising," Tali intoned knowingly, "That is metallic particulate matter blowing around out there, it's enough to stop almost any communications." The young quarian engineer was trying to impress Shepard, Liara knew. She had taken to the Commander like a little sister to an older sister, and to her credit, Shepard nodded her approval.

"We'll make it," Ashley said, "We've got to."

The crater holding the Cerberus base was now only a kilometre away, Liara noticed. She tensed up, waiting for the inevitable combat, clenching her fist and releasing it again in anticipation of having to use her biotics.

Even before the sensor contacts appeared, she knew the time had come.

"Three heat blooms, dead ahead," Garrus reported from the lead Mako in clipped tones, "The storm is hiding them... I can't get a clear reading." It was definitely the enemy, at least in turian's opinion, and that was an opinion one rarely discounted. Especially on a hostile world.

Liara leaned across to look at Shepard's monitor, as Ashley brought their vehicle parallel with its sibling. The movement was becoming more rough as they advanced, but she could see what Garrus had been talking about. Through the haze, three bright white spots stood directly ahead, silhouettes against the deep black of the crater wall behind them. The asari tilted her head as she realised the contacts appeared to be floating in mid-air.

"Why are they doing that?" Liara inquired, "Are they anti-gravity vehicles?"

Shepard kept her head firmly locked to her screen, evidently trying to figure out the answer to the question for herself. However, it was the Gunnery-Chief that understood what they were seeing in the end.

"They're walkers!" Ashley exclaimed, half in panic, "They'll turn us to scrap metal at this range! We've gotta back off!" Liara's insides nearly leapt out of her throat. The reputation of the machines was galaxy-famous. No matter how used to danger she got, being stuck in a metal box, unable to fight and entirely reliant on others to defend her made her nervous.

"Do it!" Shepard commanded, "Garrus, target the lead walker!" The Commander triggered the Mako's main weapon, causing a loud boom as the air outside was displaced. This was followed soon after by the chattering of the machinegun, and a more muffled booming as Garrus followed suit.

The vehicles themselves began backing off rapidly, lurching from forward to backward movement violently, throwing Liara from one arm of her seat to the other painfully.

"Are they shooting back?" she asked, wondering if the violent movements were due to more than a rapid change of direction.

"No," Shepard replied, clearly confused, "Barriers are at 100%."

"What are they waiting for?" Kaidan responded from the other Mako.

An alarm chirped, and the Commander's console changed its view from the front of the vehicle to the rear. Three more heat blooms were rising from the ground behind, floating like spirits out of the dust. Liara watched them rise, as fear gathered in her gut, like someone had impaled her. She regretted her previous confidence completely.

The enemy began to fire.

The Mako rattled like a cage, the screens filled with strobing light as the barriers deflected repeated shots, missile trails disappeared into the fog between pulses, and the booming of the return fire continued mutely, the noise of the Makos' weapons entirely trumped by the incoming attacks. The barrier indicator drained, despite Tali's best efforts to redirect power to the shielding. Liara knew the inevitable was coming.

"Mako 2 is hit!" Kaidan said over the comms, "Bailing out."

The cannon gave one more thump, before the end. The tank shook and bounced like a jackhammer. The barriers had failed, and the walls began to shred near the front. Liara's heart began to pump similarly hard, and her biotics flared. Not bothering to wait for a command, she knocked the rear doors clean off their hinges with a thought and scrambled out of the disintegrating vehicle.

When she got to her feet in the crunching, almost glass-like dirt of the outside, she was glad to see that Tali, Shepard and Ashley were close behind. The Commander signalled for everyone to lay down, as the wreck of the Mako took its last hits, coming to rest in pieces ahead. Liara only realised the shooting had stopped when the near-misses stopped throwing up the dust into plooms near her head. She craned her neck to see if the others were okay. Wrex's hump was clearly visible on the ground some distance away, and she saw Garrus and Kaidan moving around nearby. She breathed a sigh of relief. At least no one was dead, yet.

"Orders, Commander?" Ashley asked, pulling her heavy rifle off of her back.

Liara was still amazed at the bulk of the thing and that humans could actually carry them around for long without getting tired. The thought seemed a welcome relief from the death looming over their heads, as if the humans were somehow more than mortal. Until she remembered the standard genetic conditioning that all human soldiers received.

Shepard looked troubled, visibly squinting through her mask visor as she scanned the horizon with her eyes for any sign of the mechanical bounding of the enemy armoured vehicles. There was no way to know where they were. The flowing mist of metal was too dense.

"It's Cerberus. If we surrender, they'll kill anyone that isn't human," Shepard said grimly, her head swivelled towards Liara and Tali, "I would rather die than watch that happen and live to tell about it."

Ashley's head bobbed up and down, adding her own acknowledgement of the same principle. Her mouth dry with the terrible anticipation, Liara copied the gesture, unable to speak. She was barely past her first century of life, barely past her childhood, and she was going to die. The only thing holding her together was that she would die with friends, and a person she loved. She pulled out her pistol and checked it, partly to distract herself, as Tali did the same with her shotgun.

"Always knew it would come to this," said Wrex over the comms, "Didn't think it would be with a bunch of aliens though."

"At least we're a good bunch," Kaidan remarked, gaining a positive grunt from the krogan.

"And here I was hoping we would survive," Garrus said, "Not like me to be the optimist."

"How do you figure we'll achieve that," Ashley replied sarcastically, "Do turians have angels looking out for them?"

"We've survived worse," he said.

"That we have," said Shepard, her tone final, "Tali, can you get a read on those walkers out there?"

"I'll try," said the quarian sadly, tapping on her omnitool. Its light reflected off the particles blowing around her, turning her into a small fireworks show. Liara held her breath. It was enough to be seen at a distance through the haze further than normal, by anyone who cared to look.

Another bloom of sparkling light shone out of the whirling sands, followed almost immediately by a flurry of tracers towards Tali. She was on her back, her arms raised above her head. The hypervelocity slugs ripped through them in three places. She screamed, pulling her arms back towards her as blood began to pour from the wounds, cradling them together as if holding a child before her senses reasserted themselves. Medigel and antibiotics might not save her, Liara feared. The metal sand had clotted into the quarian's wounds, and the planet wasn't hostile enough to be lethal to bacterial life. There was nothing anyone could do about that now.

Shepard's anti-tank rifle thudded in vengeful response, the enemy's weapons discharge allowing her to pick the walker out on her own thermal scope. If it had caused any damage, Liara could not tell as no sound came back but the howling of the wind and the whimpering of Tali. The Commander very wisely rolled away from her first firing position, and seconds later, another shredding volley tore up the soft ground where she had been laying down.

"It's coming, nine o'clock relative to the Makos," Shepard reported, "Get ready."

Ashley shifted her firing position, as Kaidan, Garrus and Wrex moved up into line, the turian sitting down beside the Gunnery-Chief. Both had more anti-tank rifles. Liara was confused. She couldn't see a thing, and it didn't seem like Shepard could either.

"How do you know?" the asari asked.

The question answered itself, when she felt the soft moving of the ground underneath her. She could feel the walker approaching. In minutes, it could be seen too.

Liara had seen human walkers before, on news broadcasts and as popular children's toys. Their shape was very familiar to practically anyone in the galaxy, as they were an uniquely human weapon and were utterly ubiquitous throughout human space. The machine coming to kill her was definitely a walker, but it was considerably different. The hard, sharp edges were gone, replaced by unfamiliar round sloped armour. Instead of the multi-barrel weapons at either side of the head, a twin-barrel cannon stuck out of the middle of the main cabin, like a deadly tongue. Cerberus had their own walkers, it seemed, and the asari shuddered. It meant they had the ability to manufacture them, somewhere.

Shepard, Ashley and Garrus opened fire on it immediately, getting bright flashes of the kinetic barriers as a reward. The walker loped ever closer, its weapon scanning towards the source of the fire. It hadn't been affected in the slightest.

"Together, left panel, main cabin," Shepard ordered as they frantically reloaded, "Five, four..."

The large intimidating weapons tracked towards Shepard, probably because she was the nearest and maybe the only one the walker could see. Liara's consciousness left her, and her body moved on its own. By the time the Commander had reached "Three", Liara had relocated herself directly in front with a biotic leap. By the time the walker fired, she had erected a biotic bubble around both of them.

The twin-barrels spat something huge, something that detonated against the barrier with great force and heat. Liara managed to hold it off, just barely. Her mind burned with the exertion, as the edges of her environmental suit singed with the heart. The effort sent her staggering to the ground. Shepard took the window of opportunity, as hoped.

"Three, two, one!" Shepard finished quickly.

Liara, lying on her side, saw the three heavy shots burst from the tips of the rifles and slam into the walker together almost in the same place. The barriers had flashed, but failed to stop at least one of the attacks. At first, the walker staggered, appearing to rally. Two round hatches opened on the top, and two white-armoured humans began to climb out quickly.

The side of the walker exploded catastrophically, engulfing its crew in flame and knocking the thing clean off of its legs and onto its side.

Liara turned onto her back and splayed out, the relief flooding her brain with happy chemicals. She had done it. For now.

"Scratch one," said Ashley, not betraying an ounce of relief through her professional veneer.

"Copy," Shepard replied, much more obviously relieved, "Alenko, see to Tali. The rest of you, keep watch. This isn't over." The lieutenant made his way to the injured quarian, who was haunched over on her side. Wrex dove into a hollow beside the nearest wrecked Mako, while the others moved back in a rough semi-circle to cover all the angles of approach from the front.

Shepard offered Liara a hand, which she took.

"Thank you, Shepard," Liara said wearily.

"No, thank you," Shepard said with smiling eyes, "I was almost dead." Liara smiled weakly herself, unable to help herself even though the Commander could not see it through the mask. She wasn't taken aback by her instinct to protect Jane in the slightest, now that it had saved her, but it had taken a lot of out of her to accomplish. She was panting hard, taking in as much air as possible.

"Commander, we're screwed," said Kaidan beside Tali.

Liara and Shepard both looked over to see the quarian working on her omnitool with sluggish movements, the omnigel's drugs working overtime but not enough to knock her out. The screen was a filled with a direct feed from a drone, which Liara had not seen launched, and what it showed was not good. A long line of almost-impossibly armoured soldiers was advancing towards them from the crater where the Cerberus base was located, the walkers behind following along. There was maybe a minute before the attack began.

"Personal Powered Armour," Shepard noted, "R&amp;D dismissed that project as too expensive years ago."

"Not too expensive for Cerberus, clearly," Ashley noted, "They've got old PAC walkers too... where the hell did they get forty year old walkers and how did they upgrade them with modern tech?"

"The High Command needs to know about this, Commander," Kaidan said, "They have no idea."

"Agreed, Lieutenant," Shepard replied, "Help Tali set up a beacon in the sand, and set it to transmit our suit telemetry in 24 hours." Kaidan nodded once, and returned to Tali's side.

Liara strained her eyes at the horizon, and spotted small glimpses of white.

"Shepard, they're here," Liara said, breathlessly.

"Okay, this is it," Shepard responded, "Down on the ground or get behind the Makos, target the troops first. The walkers may not risk hitting their own. Let them get just close enough that you can hit them reliably." The Commander did not seem so sure of that last part, Liara noted, but she followed the order, lying down in the grit near the back. Her biotics were spent for the moment, and her pistol wasn't going to do much good.

Garrus and Shepard switched over to lighter sniper weapons, while Ashley set up a light support weapon. Wrex stuck with his assault rifle, having nothing with longer range than that.

Slowly, the rust-sand partially covered up everyone as they waited. Liara was glad for the atmospheric suit, as she was sure the sand would have been impossible to get rid of it if had bodily contact. And that the sand would bury them when they died, at least, although not in the traditional siari fashion under a sapling.

Inch by inch, the Cerberus troopers approached, revealing more and more detail. Their heads were entirely covered by hardened faceplates, their eyes covered for protection in favour of glowing camera lenses. Their weapons were standard issue Avengers, so common that even the lowiest of pirates had them. All appeared to be looked straight at Liara, as if they knew exactly where she was. She shuddered with fear, as if they were demons not mortals. Then suddenly, they stopped dead.

The comms hissed for a moment, before a clear voice came through.

"Commander Shepard, this is General Petrovsky," the voice said in a polite, friendly tone, "I was hoping that we would meet soon, though dropping in uninvited is quite rude of you."

Liara was immediately confused. Although the name was familiar, she was at a loss as to who Petrovsky was, and why he seemed to know Shepard. It was more than a little alarming that he was speaking directly over the comms however.

"I am a little busy at the moment," Shepard quipped, "Can I call you back in... seven minutes?" Implying that it would take that long to kill all the power-armoured troopers.

"I'm afraid you do not have the time," Petrovsky replied, "I have targeted a missile artillery strike on your exact location. Cerberus cannot allow you to interfere with our affairs, and I assure you, there will soon be nothing of note to find in this base regardless. I would prefer you to take you alive. Unlike almost anyone else, you have earned that privilege."

Shepard didn't respond, keeping her rifle aimed at the soldiers ahead.

"What the hell?" asked Ashley, after switching channels, "_The_ Petrovsky is working for Cerberus?"

"I am helping to _lead_ Cerberus, Gunnery-Chief Williams," Petrovsky responded.

"Half the people I knew back in basic admired you, and it would turn their stomachs if they heard you were _working for_ Cerberus," Ashley replied with venom, "You're racists, giving humanity a bad name."

"We are patriots, doing whatever we can to defend humanity," Petrovsky replied, "Given your family's history, I would have expected you to understand that, at least. No matter, you have not yet seen the full extent of the aliens' depravity. But your Commander has. I acted on Torfan with her intelligence and recommendation, and we've both been paying the price in our own ways ever since."

Something clicked in Liara's tired mind, and she realised where she had heard the name. Petrovsky had been the supreme military commander of the Alliance invasion of Torfan, the incident that made Shepard infamous and famous in equal measure and one that put the galaxy on notice for the depths humans were willing to go to protect their own. Both Petrovsky and Shepard were heavily criticised in the aftermath, but only Petrovsky had lost his career. No wonder the general had joined Cerberus, the asari thought.

"Shepard is nothing like you," Kaidan said, "You're a selfish traitor, she's a hero who has risked her life for everyone else countless times."

"And yet there is such a thin line between the two, Lieutenant Alenko," said Petrovsky, "You forget that it was Shepard not I who discovered the slave pens on Torfan, and that it was she not I who recommended that we purge that world with utter ruthlessness to make a point. After slaughtering a whole company on her own, I might add. I am surprised you believe the Commander would have made a different decision in my shoes. Both of us recognise the reality of the galaxy. Since the Alliance decided I was a liability, naturally I found another way to serve my species. "

"You're an honourless pyjak," Wrex said, "I'm going to kill you."

"That is rich, coming from a leader who abandoned his species for the mercenary's purse," Petrovsky replied with amusement, "I once argued for curing the genophage as a means of expanding human influence, you know? At least partially. I was shot down by Alliance High Command, and yet here I am, listening to a krogan who works for the same High Command berate me."

Wrex let out a frustrated growl.

"It is all I have done since Shanxi, and there's no way I would allow pacifist politicians to stop me," the General continued, "Shepard, would you?

Shepard cursed under her breath. Liara knew that the Commander would have fought on. It was simple luck that provided the difference in fates between the Spectre and the General. Perhaps even Shepard would have joined Cerberus too, had she been thrown away like a used rag.

"We're alike, so what?" Shepard said flatly, "I'm still coming into that base, whether you like it or not."

"Oh, I have every intention of letting you come in," Petrovsky replied, maintaining his formality, "However, I cannot have you poking around in our computers before they are wiped, or letting out the playthings the Science division has caged down here. So here is my offer. Surrender, and I will let you live. More, I will let you escape this day without a scratch, aliens and humans alike."

"I don't believe you," Shepard scoffed, "Why would you do that?"

"Aside from the high regard I hold you in, Cerberus has every reason to support your mission," Petrovsky replied, "Saren Arterius must be stopped, at all costs. Furthermore, you are the first human Spectre, it would be a terrible thing for a human so-called terrorist group to be seen to kill you."

"How very generous," Garrus said, meaning the opposite.

"Cerberus does not suffer if you die, Officer Vakarian," Petrovsky said jokingly, "I can kill you without consequence, so perhaps the sarcasm is ill-advised."

"And here I thought you would hug me," Garrus replied. Liara thought the joke foolish. The enemy had his life and hers in their hands. Levity was hardly appropriate.

"Throw down your weapons and approach my troops with hands on your heads," said Petrovsky, "I assure you, you have no choice and you will benefit greatly."

All faces turned to Shepard.

Liara knew that it was a huge risk to accept the offer, and that it was likely the General was lying. Every minute that passed brought the end of the storm nearer as well, allowing the Normandy and possibly Anderson's flotilla to rescue them. Shepard knew it too.

"Sorry, no deal," Shepard said.

A sharp, soul-crushing pain blasted into Liara's back, as something incredibly sharp with great force stabbed into it. As she struggled to catch her breath, a boot pressed itself against her helmet, pinning her to the ground. A swordtip appeared in front of her visor, bizarrely. It was coloured purple with her own blood. The pain rumbled up her back, made worse by her inability to move to treat the injury. Somehow, Cerberus had managed to sneak up on her. And now she was going to die.

"The General was not making a request," said a man in the most hateful tone Liara had ever heard, "Surrender or I kill your asari whore." Liara coughed, trying to speak to Jane, to tell the Commander to forget her and continue the mission. She couldn't bring herself to do it. She was too weak, both physically and mentally.

"I suggest you follow his suggestion, Commander," said Petrovsky with no small degree of regret, "Operative K is not known for his restraint, and I'm afraid I have absolutely no control over him. Frankly, if you can kill him, I would encourage you to do it."

"You think you're so valuable," the operative said, "But the Illusive Man will not tolerate you forever."

"We shall see," said Petrovsky, "Surrender, before he loses his temper."

"Shepard, I have a shot," Garrus stated.

"And I have an advanced barrier system that will keep me alive long enough to kill her a thousand times before you can penetrate it," Operative K stated with utter conviction, "Or enough to kill her with a single stroke and you with the next. Try it, so I can enjoy myself, you alien filth."

Shepard's eyes were hard, and her aim was true. Until the eye not glued to her scope met with Liara's own. The expression softened slightly, and did so completely when the Commander looked towards the bloody wound. Her expression was utterly heartbroken.

"I have your word, that all my crew will be alive at the end of this?" Shepard asked, lowering her rifle.

"Shepard..." said Ashley.

"Silence," Shepard snapped, "Do I have your word?"

"You do," said Petrovsky, "In fact, I have much to discuss with you, so that you may tell the High Command what I have said. And the Citadel Council, if you care to."

"Then I accept your terms for our surrender," Shepard said softly, her eyes lowered.

Liara felt horrible, like she had betrayed the whole team. It was clear as day that Shepard had only made the decision out of fear of losing her, or at least that is how it appeared to the young asari as she slowly drifted out of consciousness. The application of a cool spray of medigel didn't help matters. She awoke inside a sterile room soon afterwards.

* * *

Shepard could have kissed Petrovsky then and there when Liara awoke after a short period of unconsciousness.

The Cerberus medical staff were begrudging but willing, and had determined that her wound was painful but superficial. The sword had pierced a body cavity. It turned out that the atmosphere and the sword were sterile, the former piece of news being very good for Tali as well, who was now in a double sling with patches on the holes in her suit.

The General didn't need to do it. Liara was as expendable to Cerberus as Garrus was, and there were other Prothean experts to consult if they really needed it. But to Shepard, she was invaluable and utterly precious. The Commander knew Petrovsky was aware of that, and knew he had helped out of respect for her. As well as pragmatism, a gesture of friendship to encourage some trust.

After all, if Haider was right, Cerberus operatives had attempted to contact her in person before. That suggested a certain level of interest.

Operative K had disappeared soon after the Cerberus troopers had escorted the entire party to the crater, which was no small task given the weather and the wounded. She vowed to kill him with every fibre of her being, as she watched him disappear down a corridor after the airlock hissed open. Petrovsky was there to meet her in person too. He gave over some key details on how screwed they all were unless they cooperated, and said that they could postpone the discussion he wanted until after Liara had been seen to.

"I am alive?" Liara asked uncertainly, "Or am I dead?" Shepard snorted her amusement. If Liara's version of the afterlife included her, she was flattered. She cupped the side of the asari's face and shook her head.

"You're alive, and stuck with us," said Shepard, "It's only been two hours. The Normandy has been contacted. Apparently there's a small fleet in orbit, and it isn't Anderson. Cerberus are getting ready to leave."

Liara sat up awkwardly, and Shepard moved to help as the asari bared her teeth in the pain.

"Then I want to get this over with as soon as possible," Liara said, "It is my fault you are in this position."

Shepard realised that Liara blamed herself for the surrender, and was mortified. The situation had been completely screwed anyway. Their deaths would have been meaningless, a complete defeat with no silver lining. It had just taken seeing Liara on the edge of being decapitated with a sword to get her to understand that. The Commander took the asari's hand.

"Listen to me," she said, "You did nothing wrong. It was the fault of Cerberus, and without you, I would be dead from the walker and everyone else would be dead from the missiles they had pointed at us. I trust you, and everyone else does too."

Liara smiled dopily, in the way that those on lots of painkillers do, completely mollified by the statement. Shepard snorted again at the expression, and aided the asari's movement to her feet.

The Commander watched as Liara got dressed out of the hospital-type pyjamas and back into a fresh uniform, ironically stamped with the angular three heads of the Cerberus logo. When it came time to leave the room, Shepard helped Liara walk with a reassuring arm under and around the shoulder.

All except Wrex looked very glad to see them, even Petrovsky. Wrex was too busy examining the guards at the door.

"Ah Commander, I am glad to see your... colleague is well. My doctors inform me that she was never in any great danger anyway," said Petrovsky, pre-empting any speech from the others, "If you don't mind, she can wait here while Lieutenant Alenko, Gunnery-Chief Williams and yourself accompany me."

Just the humans. Shepard was unsurprised, but strangely disgusted by the division. The non-humans had fought just as hard as anyone, and had earned her respect. And her respect was considerably harder to earn than that of the common citizen. However, there was no way she could decline the order, disguised as an offer as it was.

"Very well," the Commander replied, "Garrus, you are in charge here."

"Understood Shepard," said Garrus, before nodding to Wrex for his assent. The krogan looked away, but said nothing. Good enough, Shepard thought.

The humans of the Normandy ground team were led from the room by the General alone, without escort. Shepard was surprised that he took the risk, given that Kaidan could shred him with a thought, but Petrovsky knew he had the overall advantage of guards that could retaliate eventually. Eventually wasn't exactly good enough, in her opinion, but the General's differed.

They soon came to another set of doors and another set of guards, this time in the heavy armour that the troops outside had worn. With them, strutted a woman in custom armour of her own, which fitted to her extremely feminine form far more. She held herself like Shepard imagined the noblewomen of old held themselves. Projecting utter superiority. The Commander found it telling of a weakness. A fear of inferiority. Not that the woman was inferior physically, at any rate.

"Shepard, this is Operative L," Petrovsky said, "The Illusive Man's right hand, just arrived to supervise the withdrawal." Shepard shook the woman's offered hand, but said nothing.

"Do you know her actual name?" said Kaidan. He had caught on to it too. Petrovsky's apparent lack of complete authority.

"No," the General replied, "I have only been part of Cerberus since just after Eden Prime, and the Illusive Man is slow to trust even the most reliable from the ranks of the ex-Alliance High Command."

"I'd be more interested in why Operative L is dressed like a swimsuit model in a neural leisure vid," Ashley said.

"Because I can, and it gives me an advantage," the operative replied, in a thick but refined Australian accent, "Not that you would understand, you know nothing of the wars fought behind closed doors." The woman was right about that, and Shepard hoped it would remain the case. However unlikely that would be.

"I'm beginning to get an idea," Ashley said, somewhat sourly.

"First thing is first; Admiral Kohaku," Petrovsky said, "I am afraid he was killed."

"What," said Shepard, making the word into an insult.

"Operative K was … displeased at his lack of cooperation," Petrovsky explained, "He attempted to encourage that cooperation, against my express orders, and the attempt failed."

The doors opened, and revealed a startling sight.

The Admiral was laying in state, his hands crossed over on his chest, his body prepared for the final rest. Behind him was the culprit, or rather, the method of execution.

Large insects were contained in a mass effect barrier field. Heads with multiple eyes and pincers. Long bodies that curved upwards like a scorpions, to reveal spitters dripping with venom. Six legs. Smaller versions of themselves accompanying them like goslings to geese. They were hideous, and Shepard wanted to destroy them.

"What the hell are those?" Shepard asked.

"Rachni," Petrovsky replied.

"The rachni are extinct," said Ashley, disbelieving her eyes.

"Not as much as anyone thought, I'm afraid," Petrovsky said, approaching the enclosure, "Unfortunately, we have determined they cannot be used as cannon fodder as we had hoped. Their link to their mother is simply too complex for us to emulate."

"So we don't need to worry about you dropping off a couple of thousand of these onto a batarian colony?" said Kaidan flatly.

"I don't think the Commander would care in that case," said Petrovsky, truthfully enough, "But no. We were planning to use these in a single operation, to throw a bit of something at the Terminus pirates currently standing in the path of Alliance forces to Rannoch, but we'll be purging the entire facility before a larger Alliance task force shows up." The Commander nodded.

"This isn't exactly anything that Haider wouldn't do," Shepard conceded, "But this was a brutal way to kill another human being. If it gets out, you'll be blamed." The implied threat was left on the table.

"I'm sure we would be, which is why we intend to give you something more valuable instead," Operative L explained, "We have information that will be of great use to you in your hunt for Saren."

"And what information is that?" Ashley asked.

"The location of Matriarch Benezia T'soni," Operative L continued, "We have tracked her to her own facility on Noveria. I am sure you have already considered that as a place that Saren might hide."

Shepard frowned. Both Saren and Benezia had invested heavily in Noverian corporations, particularly in biotech and high speed communications, but those assets had been frozen after Eden Prime. Or so the report from the governing corporate authorities there had insisted. She had smelled something off about the speed of that declaration, and there was a file on Noveria on her desk in the Normandy as they spoke. Now she was sure that the Matriarch at least was there, possibly without Saren and his monstrous dreadnought. There was an opportunity of great proportions.

There was just one problem.

"What do you want in return, other than my public silence on this?" the Commander asked, pointing to Kohaku, "And let me be clear, this is a pretty big thing to stay quiet on."

"To think well of us is our only request," said Petrovsky, "I know that this hasn't been the best first impression, but we have been trying to contact you for months. I'm afraid General Haider has gone to extraordinary lengths to stop it from happening. We know you believe as we do, that humanity's place in the galaxy must be defended at all costs. You will undoubtedly have a different nuance to it."

The General's eyes flickered to Ashley, albeit without any hatred or amusement.

"There will come a time when I hope we can cooperate," Petrovsky continued, "The Reapers may be coming, and the whole galaxy will depend on what forces you can bring to bear."

Shepard narrowed her eyes. It was a suspect arrangement, but she had done worse than shake hands with terrorists. It was an invaluable opportunity. She was a Spectre, she had the authority too. Perhaps even Haider would like it. A chance for snooping around Cerberus files or bases didn't seem like something the diminutive director of intelligence would pass up.

It also appeared that the Admiral was genuinely killed by what Petrovsky said was a rogue operative, and Shepard trusted his word. What the others didn't know what that the General had backed her to the hilt during the hearings after Torfan, all behind the veil of secrecy of course. It had probably saved her military career, but it had doomed his.

She trusted him, to a certain extent, to do the expedient thing for humanity. Exactly what she intended to do.

"Okay, we have a deal," said Shepard, "Just tell me one thing... Where'd you get the walkers? I almost got blown away by one."

"The old mothball facilities under the ice in Siberia," Operative L explained, "When the Alliance contracted out to scrap them, we stepped in and saved thousands of them. Very useful kit, I think you will agree?"

Considering that the damn things had riddled poor Tali's arms with holes, and nearly ripped both Liara and her apart, the Commander could hardly deny that.

"Some batarians are going to be very sorry," Shepard said, looking on the bright side as best she could.


	29. Chapter 24: Obfuscation

**Chapter 24: Obfuscation**

"What do you mean there is something happening on Noveria?" Shepard asked with incredulity, "Have the geth taken over?"

It had barely been two days since Cerberus had put her in an escape pod in orbit over Nepheron along with her team, after nuking their former research base. Joker picked them up just as Anderson's flotilla made it, long after Petrovsky and the mysterious Operative L had left with their own small fleet. She didn't care much about Cerberus any more. They had made their truce, and there was bigger fish to fry. Fish that she now had found bait for, courtesy of her temporary captors.

Anderson wasn't happy to retrieve the body of Admiral Kohaku from a steel casket orbiting alongside the pod, but Shepard didn't want to dwell on that.

Regardless, the Normandy had went straight back to the Citadel, allowing time for a restful sleep once Liara and Tali had been checked out by had managed to organise an informal Council meeting for later in the day. Shepard was looking forward to it. Benezia was a traitor, not even the asari would throw up a roadblock to stop her acting now.

Before that however, the Commander had to report to Alliance High Command. Problem was that all the bigwigs were busy with the negotiations with the quarians. So, Shepard found herself reporting to Haider on the Alliance docks, as two assault walkers were loaded onto the Normandy as last minute replacements for the wrecked Makos. The Major-General had taken the news of Kohaku's death badly, but quietly, moving onto the next piece of business as quickly as possible.

That piece of business was Noveria.

"A friendly corporate agent has passed word that Port Hanshan is on lockdown, and that the turian military landed twelve hours ago," Haider explained, "The workers were placed on temporary lockdown for a day about a week ago, but the administrator has refused to say why." Angry at the usual corporate obfuscation, Shepard cursed loudly.

"It has to be the geth," the Commander replied, "There's no way that planets like Noveria want to invite the Alliance forces in by admitting the geth are there, and the turians are probably playing along for their own reasons."

Haider nodded. "The Administrator is refusing the turians access to the remote research facilities, and the weather is so bad that they can't use shuttles. Or so he says. The turians don't have jurisdiction, they were called in by a retired general of all people."

Shepard wondered briefly if it was General Oraka. A convenient coincidence, if so. She had leverage against him. She shook her head, killing the thought. He was probably still somewhere on the Citadel, commanding part of the defence fleet.

"Which means both the Administrator and that general know about Benezia," she said, drawing the obvious line after mulling it over for a moment, "How come the turians aren't investigating the other facilities via ground transport?"

Haider frowned, and turned away to watch the dock stewards do their job.

"That's what I have been unable to find out," she said, "There's a whole turian mechanised company sitting on their claws at Port Hanshan. That's one hundred and sixty troops, and sixteen IFVs that could make the trip easily, and quickly. If the geth had numbers that could beat that, we'd know a lot more about it." The Major-General's uniform beeped at her, and she pulled out a data tablet.

The turians weren't exactly fond of the cold. Palaven was warmer than Earth, even before the new ice age. That tended to colour their military philosophies, the Commander knew, including their design ideas.

"Noveria is frozen... are the turian vehicles good for that?" Shepard asked.

"Should be," Haider replied, not quite sure herself, "The Council undoubtedly knows more about the restraint the turians are showing. Could just be a jurisdiction thing, people covering their asses and their assets by delaying things as long as possible."

"It's almost time to meet them," Shepard said, checking her omnitool and booking transport to the Citadel Tower, "Thanks for the information."

The Commander began to walk off, but Haider caught her arm roughly.

"When this is over, we're going to have serious conversations about murdering every last Cerberus son of a bitch we can catch," the Major-General growled, more grimly than her size should have allowed, "Are you on board with that?"

Shepard stared blankly back. It was a test, of course. If she was honest with herself, she did have a problem with it. She didn't get into the Alliance military for the purpose of murdering her fellow humans, however misguided. There were plentiful exceptions to that rule, but Cerberus, for all their faults, were very much loyal to their species. Unlike the mercenaries, imbeciles and thralls she had been killing until now. She had common ground with the terrorists on at least one thing; she would kill anyone who got in the way of protecting humanity. The sword wielding bastard was a dead man walking, but the rest of them she could work with in a pinch, no problems at all.

However, all of that that wasn't what Haider wanted to hear.

"No problem whatsoever," the Commander lied.

It wasn't like she wouldn't do it if ordered to, after all. She wasn't so stupid as to cross the Major-General. Haider's job was often to fight in ways that a soldier wasn't trained to. The woman herself paused, softening her grip, before releasing Shepard's arm. She was convinced enough, and walked away to rejoin her escort of heavily-armoured bouncers, reading the tablet's message.

Shepard's taxi arrived past the security cordon, her mind busy with thoughts of killing Saren and 'Operative K'.

* * *

The asari councillor's meeting room was surprisingly spartan, lacking the high degree of ornamentation so loved by many of her people. The walls were still the grey of the Citadel, utilitarian and blank. The excess of consoles and screens seen at the human embassy was absent too, replaced with a single, curved white desk made of a type of stone Shepard had never seen before. The chairs were similarly curved and white, but made from a sort of gnarled wood with deep blue cushions. They were very comfortable to sit in. Hugely expensive, if she was any judge.

The Commander knew the whole set up was a clever ploy. No flashy items to distract guests for more than a minute. No consoles or screens to interrupt negotiations. All the necessities made to the highest specifications, a display of wealth disguised by simplicity, not for the purpose of intimidation but for seduction. The senses to be teased only by Councillor Tevos' words.

Shepard wasn't sure if she approved of the austerity of the room or if she disliked the purpose of its design.

The others, except for Tevos herself, seemed more at ease. Valern sat forward in his seat, his attention firmly fixed on the only human in the space. Sparatus by contrast was leaning back, browsing on a data-tablet, entirely confident. Shepard had to stop herself from showing her unease. The combination of their behaviour unsettled her, given the circumstances. Noveria was not the only topic going to be addressed, she had realised.

Proof of that was the asari matron standing beside Tevos seat, having a last few quiet words before the meeting began. The individual had striking red spirals around her face, and was dressed in a flowing set of robes. She seemed overdressed even compared with the councillors and their formalwear. Once the councillors' aides had left, another bad sign by Shepard's reckoning, Tevos coughed, getting the attention of her colleagues immediately. It was impressive that she could do that with just a mere cough. The Commander bit her lower lip. Briefly.

Tevos turned to Sparatus.

"Is this satisfactory privacy for the business we have?" she asked.

"The only place I would feel more comfortable would be my own embassy," Sparatus said, his tone indicating that he had pushed for just that setting, "But I suppose you were right when you said that the humans wouldn't look upon that positively."

Tevos inclined her head with a small smile, not one of triumph but one of thanks. Another excellent ploy, said the voice of cynicism in Shepard's head. She took a breath, readying herself for what was to come.

Valern was the first to address her.

"Spectre, we have read your report... Your encounter with terrorists was most disturbing. Cerberus has made significant gains in the Terminus Systems, but to think they would be capable of maintaining such a facility within Citadel space is perhaps of greater significance. Not even the STG were aware of the activity on Nepheron."

"How could the Alliance have missed such obvious activity right under their noses?" Sparatus added in complaint.

Shepard levelled her gaze at the turian with disdain, unable to hold her contempt for his contribution back. It was easy to hide terrorist activity when half the human species distrusted the motives of the very people speaking to her. Half the species, including military figures and billionaires. The councillors were undoubtedly aware of this, however. What they wanted to hear was her opinion. She couldn't give them it. They would be insulted, at best.

"Major-General Haider spoke to me less than a half an hour ago," Shepard said, dodging the real question, "She made it clear to me that the destruction of Cerberus will be the Alliance's top priority, once the geth-reaper threat is ended."

Valern nodded his approval, while Tevos looked at her turian counterpart.

"Which brings us neatly to our first topic," Sparatus half-spat, "The so-called Reaper threat." Shepard's fists closed themselves hard. The temptation to chastise him for his tone of voice buzzed around her head , but she swatted it away with practised skill. No need to get carried away.

"This is Doctor T'Vara, Professor of Precursor Studies at Citadel University," Tevos said, as the woman herself stepped forwards and bowed at the waist, "She will meld with you, to determine the nature of the information you claim to have received from the beacon on Eden Prime."

Not expecting to deal with this at that very moment, Shepard's eyebrows curled upwards. It was hardly an inconvenience; a meld only took minutes, and it wasn't as if the rest of her memories were a great secret either. Every millisecond of her actions on Torfan was a matter of public record, thanks to the leaks. Except for how she had felt inside herself. She grimaced. Liara having experienced those memories was one thing. A stranger in pay of the asari councillor was another thing entirely.

"Right now?" Shepard asked, "If you read my report, you know that Benezia is on Noveria as we speak. Every moment is precious. The only reason I returned to the Citadel was to re-equip and get my injured crewmates to hospital. We can do this when I return, with the matriarch in my custody."

"Benezia is going nowhere, if our intelligence is correct," Valern said, "Though there is still a time constraint. Perhaps we can reconvene at a..."

The turian councillor's fist slammed down onto the arm of his chair, cracking the wood down the side. The other councillors flinched. Shepard did not.

"No, we will do it now," Sparatus growled, "It is very strange that you resist, Shepard. You were the one who suggested this." The asari councillor's lip curled, impatience with the uncouth display shown openly for the briefest of moments.

"I would think anyone would be reluctant to share such thoughts with another," Valern warned, "It will be done now, but her reluctance is understandable."

Tevos looked at Sparatus, having gained the support of the salarians. Sparatus backed down, crossing his arms in what appeared to Shepard to be a remarkably human gesture.

"If I might soothe the Spectre's concerns," said T'Vara, "I intend to see only the barest minimum of what I can. I do not believe that I need to see the whole vision to determine whether or not it is genuine."

Shepard doubted the professor would be able to be prevented from seeing everything. Every time she thought about the visions, they merged and mixed with her own memories, brewing together. It was pure stupidity to mess around with someone she didn't trust. Her jaw clenched, as she realised she couldn't escape the request. Not without throwing the whole game away, letting Saren and the Reapers do what they wished.

"You won't like what you see," the Commander said.

"I am aware," T'Vara replied, "According to your record, the only soldiers with similar experiences are matriarch and krogan veterans of the Rebellions. However, I myself have some combat experience, and I am confident I can handle it." The firmness of the last sentence caught Shepard by surprise. It wasn't unusual for asari maidens to spend their first few centuries in mercenary groups or other highly dangerous occupations, which accounted for their huge death rates. T'Vara was one of the survivors, or was a very good actress.

Either way, the Commander was convinced.

"Let's get this over with," Shepard said, standing up.

T'Vara approached.

"Relax your mind, and then think of the vision from start to finish," the professor replied. The asari drew closer. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, they were black.

The memories slapped Shepard almost immediately, moments from her life mixed with Prothean madness like a deck of cards. One moment, she was shooting a batarian leader through a stained glass window on Elysium. The next, she was watching more Reaper dreadnoughts destroying cities, green beams returning their wrath. Emptying her weapon into a trench on Torfan until nothing was left moving. Fleets manoeuvring and fighting in orbit of twin gas giants. The hearing where charges of war crimes against her were dismissed. An empty Citadel, devoid of life.

Each change was like a spike driven into her mind. It hadn't been like that with Liara. Not at all. Confused, angry, and most of all hurting all over her body, Shepard demanded that it stop. When it didn't, she drew her strength and lashed out with a fist.

The Commander's strike connected with T'Vara's shoulder, and the link was broken. Both fell back onto the ground, shaking off the pain.

"Shepard, what is the meaning of this!" said Tevos, standing up, her biotics flaring slightly. Shepard backed off, crawling backwards towards her chair on her palms. She was unarmed, and although still one of the deadliest people alive in a fist fight, she was no match for an asari matriarch.

"Wait!" T'Vara interrupted loudly, "It was my fault!"

The professor picked herself up, wearily. "The information goes deeper than mere visions," she continued, "It was causing her pain."

Tevos' biotics died off, and Shepard breathed easier. T'Vara glanced at her superior.

"Are you hurt?" asked Tevos, with a sincerity that was impossible to verify. Shepard climbed onto her feet again, but said nothing.

"More importantly, was she telling the truth?" said Sparatus, addressing the professor.

"Are the visions real?" Valern added, "Are they akin to what you know from your study of the Prothean people?"

Their lack of concern was to be expected, but Shepard was pleased as T'Vara's face darkened with worry. It was as obvious as daybreak; she had seen what Shepard had. The pains in the Commander's head disappeared. There was hope at last.

"It appears so," the professor replied, "The images were consistent with the very best Prothean research. Architecture, writing, even the display of a system not known publicly for Prothean sites but one that we intend to send an expedition to in the next six months, it all checks out. But it is incomplete, broken. If the vision is meant to convey a message other than terror, we do not have enough pieces to figure it out." The asari massaged her temples, and blinked several times. Shepard wondered if it was the Prothean content or her own contributions that were making her do so. She gulped down a drop of guilt.

"It doesn't sound like you are refuting that it could be a fabrication by Saren," said Sparatus, choosing his words carefully, "Nor is this evidence that the Reapers are returning as we speak, assuming it is true. It could mean that Saren is simply seeking them out, with the help of the geth."

Shepard palm raised itself to slam against the side of her face in disbelief, but lowered itself as she caught the instinct before it carried itself through. What a stubborn son of a bitch the turian was. He just could not believe that the Reapers were a real threat. She began to wonder if he was so completely biased against humanity that anything a human might provide was worthless to him. The Commander reminded herself to send a message to Haider about him. If Sparatus was such a person, he would need to be removed.

"Thank you, Professor T'Vara," said Tevos, not commenting on her own beliefs, "We will debrief you in full at a later date, after we had read your own full report. You are dismissed."

The asari professor bowed to the councillors in the same manner she had bowed before, and withdrew from the room, her gait slightly shaking as she did so. Shepard followed with her eyes until she was gone, pitying the woman the whole way.

"Noveria," said Tevos, returning to her seat, "As Councillor Valern indicated earlier, there is little likelihood of Benezia escaping. As you have no doubt been informed, the only spaceport has been occupied by the turians. The truth is that something has happened there that requires a Spectre presence regardless, something related to your recent encounter with Cerberus."

"Why not let the Alliance settle thing?" Shepard asked, "It's a human world."

"Noveria is an independent world, with a charter agreement with the Citadel that means the only external forces allowed upon it are the Spectres," Valern corrected, "However, the Administrator called in a turian force via a contact in the Hierarchy's high command, with strict conditions as to their use."

"The conditions imposed upon the unit stationed there have become intolerable," Sparatus added, "Given the threat that has been discovered there."

"The geth?" Shepard guessed.

"If only," scoffed Sparatus in return.

"The rachni," said Tevos, "It appears that the specimens you reported on Nepheron were stolen from a biological facility on Noveria."

"A private intelligence company came forward with the information eighteen hours ago," Valern explained, "The Peak 15 facility has been completely overrun by the creatures, and that is just where Matriarch Benezia will most likely be. The facility is owned by a corporation backed heavily by Saren, before his assets were frozen. Undoubtedly, the staff were kept in the dark about that detail."

Shepard didn't care if hell itself had taken over the facility, nothing would stop her from getting to Saren through Benezia. That said, it seemed remarkably restrained of the Council to simply send a Spectre against what was, once upon a time, the galaxy's most fearful enemy. Not even the presence of Benezia should have prevented them from turning the planet into free-fire zone.

"Will you give me enough time to capture Benezia before you destroy the facility?" she asked, coming to the conclusion that they might be planning just such an attack.

"We will not take any such action," said Tevos, "Word must not get out of the rachni's existence. Contact between Port Hanshan and the rest of the galaxy has already been cut. We do not have the authority to overrule the Administrator, and doing so with a battle fleet would almost certainly reveal what is happening. We will send you to resolve the situation without our knowledge, as part of your hunt for Saren."

"We wish you the best of luck, Spectre," Sparatus added, seeming almost sickeningly happy at the prospect of a nasty death for all of the Normandy's crew at the hands of the rachni.

Shepard smiled at the turian, putting him off his glee. To her own delight.

"I've faced worse odds," she said, not quite sure if that was true.


	30. Chapter 25: Annexation

**Chapter 25: Annexation**

The white orb that was Noveria appeared suddenly as the Normandy exited FTL travel from the relay, a startling brightness against the backdrop of near-total black sky. It was beautiful, or would have been if it wasn't for the fact it was a corporate haven now sheltering two of the deadliest enemies of the galaxy. Shepard watched the planet approach with some interest, before a yawn broke it off. She had been reading through some paperwork all morning, and the boredom had meant she had not quite been able to wake up. She took another gulp of coffee, as Joker turned his head around.

"We're getting a transmission," the pilot smirked, "Have a listen to this."

Joker flicked his wrist at a side interface, and opened up the comms to the bridge loudspeaker.

"Attention unidentified vessel, you are now entering Noverian space," said a calm female voice, "Identify yourselves or prepare to be fired upon."

Exasperated at their arrogance, Shepard shook her head. Every little tinpot CEO or warlord thought his or her own planet was their private domain. Until someone with real power showed up.

"Channel is open when you're ready," Joker grinned, knowing full well that his Commander's response would be scathing.

"This is the _stealth_ frigate SSV Normandy, Spectre Jane Shepard speaking," she said wearily, "_Try_ and fire upon my ship, and it will be considered a hostile act against the Systems Alliance and the Citadel Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. But, as I mentioned before, it might be a little hard to hit us. _Stealth frigate _and all."

Shepard finished off her coffee, as the comms filled with what she assumed were splutters of shock and hushed but urgent requests for someone higher up to speak to the matter. Joker's smile widened with every minute gasp, which did wonders for the Commander's state of consciousness. They both shared some part of their sense of humour; annoying overimportant functionaries. Time to rub salt in the wound.

"We're entering our approach vector to Port Hanshan," Shepard finished, "I expect the turian commander and the leader of your security forces to be present when I arrive. Shepard out."

"Well Commander, you handled them," Joker said, reclining in his seat slightly, "Now let's hope they don't shoot us out of the sky. It would be a bad end to the whole idea."

"How long do you think it would take for Haider to send out a whole legion to retaliate if they did?" Shepard scoffed, "Killing me would piss off too many powerful people. They wouldn't dare."

"Unless they have something to hide," Joker added, "Which they do. Rachni are a pretty big thing to be worried about people finding."

"They should already know that we know," Shepard replied, "Take us in carefully, if it makes you feel any better."

"It won't... but aye aye, Commander," Joker said, ending the conversation.

Shepard stalked off back towards the CIC, using her omnitool to call the ground team to the cargo bay, her steps feeling heavy. What she had planned next was far more entertaining, but far more risky as well. There were a lot more turians on Noveria than even she could have dealt with.

If they disputed her words, there would be a bloodbath.

* * *

Shepard donned her armour, retrieved her weapons from her locker. Her teammates did the same, on her orders. Even if there were no rachni or geth in the dock facility, an impression needed to be made that they were all willing to fight. All except for Tali, whom had not recovered yet from the injuries she had sustained on Nepheron. She stood fidgeting. It made her lean over slightly, as one of her arms was still in a sling while the other was not. The Commander felt a little sad that the young quarian wasn't going to be at the front on this one. The geth were a pain to deal with otherwise, and her shotgun would be missed too.

"Don't worry Tali, you'll get better in time for the big show," Shepard said, trying to reassure her, "You'll be there when we stop the geth."

Tali nodded. "Thanks, Commander," she replied, "I guess I'll get out of your way." She wandered off to the elevator, to go to where she could monitor things in safety. Shepard had ordered as much earlier. At least Tali would escape if it all went to hell.

Of course, to compensate for the mess against Cerberus, the Alliance had gone completely overboard, taking no chances. They'd pulled three assault walkers off a planetary assault cruiser and assigned them to the Normandy, their original white and grey arctic camouflage paint perfect for Noveria's ice fields. The heavy weapons would do wonders persuading the locals to play nice too. Or so Shepard hoped.

Ashley, Kaidan and Wrex climbed into the pilot's seats, the latter with some grumbled complaints about space, as Shepard, Liara and Garrus stood in the space where a fourth walker could have stood, nearby the deployment ramp. An asari and a turian, with the first human Spectre. Shepard sighed, hoping the small gesture of a cross-species first impression would help.

"Are you still dreaming about Torfan?" Liara asked suddenly, putting her hand on Shepard's shoulder and squeezing it lightly. The Commander squeezed back with her spare hand, her dominant one clutching the pistol grip of her assault rifle. A good metaphor for the two things she valued, she suddenly thought to herself.

"It's the beacon's visions that are keeping me up," Shepard replied, after a pause, "They'll pass in a day or two. Just got stirred up by that professor is all."

Garrus hummed to himself. He had said nothing when the Commander had told the others about the events at the asari embassy. Shepard turned her head to the turian, knowing he had something to add.

"Do you think they'll believe you?" he asked at last. They referring to the Council, of course.

"Not entirely," Shepard replied, "We need more pieces of the puzzle for that, but I think they'll start listening to the real evidence instead of just dismissing it without looking."

"That's an improvement, I guess," Garrus said, "It usually takes somebody's daughter going missing to get them to pay attention... no offence Liara."

"None taken," Liara chirped with a smile, "As long as strapping young humans and turian officers come to rescue them." That was borderline flirtation, the Commander realised.

The three grinned at each other, until the internal comms buzzed on.

"Docking now Commander," Joker reported, "Looks like there's a welcoming committee."

"How welcoming do they look?" Shepard asked.

"Hard to tell," said Joker, "Almost all of them are turian."

Garrus grunted his displeasure at that news. "They might want to take us at the docks," he said, "It's the best place for it. If we got into the facility or outside, we'd have the advantage."

"No need for drama yet," Shepard warned, "Let's just see what they want, before coming to conclusions about whether or not we need to fight." Not that she wouldn't have torn through whoever stood in her way regardless, it was just smart to play it cool. It usually was.

The noise of the docking clamps attaching to the hull echoed through the cargobay, and the Normandy's ramp began to descend.

"Okay Ashley, you're up first," Shepard ordered, "Wrex and Kaidan will follow, but you take up the middle. I want a nice, intimidating little semi-circle for the locals."

"Understood, ma'am," Ashley said.

The ramp hit the concrete of the docks, revealing a platoon of turians in covered positions all around, including on the walkways above where the crew-tunnel was moving to mate with the Normandy's airlock. They flinched, to Shepard's amusement, as the three walkers disembarked from the Normandy one-by-one, the gatling mass-accelerators of Ashley and Wrex's vehicles spinning menacingly in challenge. The stick had been waved about, the Commander thought, time for the carrot.

Shepard stepped out onto the concrete herself, followed closely by Garrus and Liara. Directly in front of them was another group of three. A turian, clearly their leader as promised, a human, most likely the leader of the security forces, and a salarian, who looked entirely out of place but was attended by a tall, attractive human woman in a form-fitting tube dress. It was a weird bunch, far more strange even than Shepard's own crew, yet definitely disunited for reasons she could well guess.

They closed to a distance at which they could have a civilised conversation. Immediately, Shepard launched into the introductions.

"Commander Jane Shepard, Alliance N7, Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance," she began, "This is Officer Garrus Vakarian of Citadel Security, and Doctor Liara T'soni."

"T'soni?" the salarian asked aloud, before twitching away, clearly regretting having spoken out. An opening, to the Commander's mind.

"Yes, T'soni," Shepard continued, not letting anyone get another word in first, "We are here to find Matriarch _Benezia _T'soni. She's working with the traitor Saren. But of course, you know that, you claim to have frozen their assets." The Commander stared at the civilian group intently. They were obviously management that had invited themselves, though how high up remained to be seen. All the better.

The turian leader stepped forwards, looming over Shepard as all turians did given their height. His mandibles flickered for a moment, before twitching in amusement that grew into a laugh. Shepard stood confused.

"So, the Council sent us the psychotic ice ape," the leader laughed, actually holding his sides now, "How appropriate!" The chuckling continued to the bewilderment of the entire audience. The turian's subordinates looked at each other, not sure if he had insulted the human or if he was merely joking. The salarian and his attendant quite literally flinched, the former backing away slightly to put the latter in between him and the trouble. Ashley grumbled with her comms on. Behind, Garrus' rifle rattled, as he moved it off of his shoulder and into his hands.

Finding the description pretty funny herself, Shepard grinned back as the turian commander calmed a little. "They were afraid you turians would get lost in the snow," she shrugged, "So they sent a real soldier."

The turian commander let out another bark of laughter, before containing himself completely. "The geth, the rachni, Benezia's group... We have too much to do," he said, offering his hand, "Captain Fabius, at your service. I hope you can help me clear this all up as soon as possible."

"It would be our pleasure," Shepard replied, shaking the offered hand, "Just as long as I get Benezia in one piece." Fabius grunted his agreement, and waved to his troops to stand down. Rifles and missile launchers were stowed, and the troops began to file out of cover and into a parade-ground formation directly behind, to await new orders. The Commander quietly admired the military display, until something else entered her vision.

The salarian seemed to recover his senses, and was walking over in an imperious manner, his human assistant looking positively fatigued by his mood swing in tow. Shepard could feel the same sensation spreading over her own body, the more she looked at the pair.

"I am Administrator Anoleis, I would like to make a formal complaint to the Citidel Council," he said upon arriving, "A turian named Lorik Qui'in invited these troops here against the wishes of the Executive Board of Noveria, whom I represent. This is a flagrant violation of treaty..."

Shepard held her hand up to silence him, and to her surprise, it worked. Only because of the firepower she had at her disposal, she realised, as Anoleis' eyes darted between her and Ashley's walker directly behind.

"Administrator, Benezia is here, which means the geth are here too," Shepard said, "You need protection."

"We found geth hiding in the garage when we arrived," Fabius added, "This idiot still won't let us move on to the facility where their master went. We need the bridge codes to get across the high cliffs."

"Peak 15 is a private facility, owned by a variety of shareholders other than Saren," said Anoleis, ignoring the turian, "Benezia was not included in the embargo until after she had passed through, and she arrived with her entourage of asari commandos. They passed all security checks. There was no reason to stop her."

"Commandos?" Garrus said from behind, "That's not good."

"Two whole squads," Fabius responded, "Hopefully the rachni have whittled them down some, or this is going to be very bloody."

"Hopefully it won't come to that," Liara said sadly, looking away at nothing in particular.

Shepard cursed the lowly functionary who had failed to stop Benezia from passing through unimpeded. It was all over the news that she was working with Saren and the geth. The realisation that the Administrator had probably used the loophole to ignore that hit her, and cold anger settled in her stomach. She eyed the salarian coolly.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this, but it's clear that you cannot be trusted, Administrator," the Commander said, "I claim this world now and forever in the name of the Human Systems Alliance, as an enemy-occupied territory under article 8 of the War Powers Act. Your authority is now dissolved, and you are under arrest for cooperating with a hostile power during an armed conflict."

"You can't do that," Anoleis said calmly, "We're independently chartered, this will cause an uproar. The Salarian Union and your own corporations won't stand for it."

Shepard ignored him, and turned to Fabius. "Captain, as this is now a world of a Citadel species, you are now under Spectre command," she continued, "Detain the Administrator until he can be transported to Earth for trial, and prepare your troops to advance on Peak 15."

The moment of truth came. The Commander watched the turian's face as he contemplated the best course of action. He looked at Anoleis, at Shepard, and finally at Garrus. A fanged turian grin spread over his face. Fabius waved a sergeant over and pointed to Anoleis. Shepard breathed a sigh of relief. She had won this round.

"You can't do this! This won't stand!" Anoleis shouted, as the turian soldier dragged him off roughly and looked like she was enjoying it.

"What about the underling?" Fabius asked, thumbing at the woman in question, "Should we take her in too?"

Shepard turned her attention to the aide. "Your name?" she asked.

"Gianna Parasini," the woman replied confidently, "I advised against the Administrator's course of action... by the way." Her confidence was strange, given the circumstances. That made the Commander wonder for a little while.

"Okay, Miss Parasini," Shepard said, "You're the Governor now."

"What?" replied Gianna, "But I.."

"I'm not here to run a planet," Shepard cut in, "I need someone to run things and keep order with the security forces until the Alliance sends someone to do the job. That's you."

"You can always join the Administrator if you don't like it," Fabius added, his amusement returning.

"No, that's fine," Gianna said with indecent haste, "I guess I've been doing most of the job already."

"Exactly as I guessed," said Shepard, "Now have the docks cleared, so we can get the walkers through to the garage. We'll be leaving as soon as possible."

The new Governor's head bobbed rapidly in acknowledgement, and she hurried off back up the docks to the elevators, watched all the while by the turians. Shepard began to suspect that things would be run far more efficiently on Noveria from that point onwards.

"You enjoyed that," Liara said, moving up beside the Commander.

"Yep," Shepard replied, smiling at the asari warmly.

"And one more world for humanity," said Fabius, "If I were a worrying man, I would say your kind were taking over the galaxy." The Commander snorted her amusement.

"The galaxy is ours by right, Captain," Shepard replied, "Lucky for you that we're good at sharing with our friends."

Fabius cracked into loud laughter once again.

* * *

"This is a golden opportunity," Chief Engineer Xen drawled, "Our people are a broken race, only able to sustain our population on ships we bought from the humans with our knowledge. Even if we liberate Rannoch, even if we retain all of our fleet, something that will be impossible, we will still be a tiny power in the galaxy. The geth must be returned to their rightful place at our side!"

"You have gone utterly mad, Xen," Admiral Han'Gerrel replied forcefully, "I cannot believe that Jalu'Xamos sent you here in her place to make this argument, when we are the cusp of signing a deal that will bring us back to the homeworld. Bring the geth back under our control? You're more insane than Zaal'Koris and his peaceniks! Do you think the humans will simply let them live?"

"We do not care how the geth are defeated, as long as they are," Consul deBankole stated, "However, we see no way to achieve that except through absolute force. At present." In other words, it was a question for later, as there was no way to bring the geth to heel otherwise. Yet it wasn't a demand to move now either.

General Karla Haider sighed loudly, uncaring that it was audible to the diplomats and politicians in the room, and sipped a large cup of coffee to clear her headache. The large well-lit conference room was decked out with the Alliance logo and member-state flags on one side and quarian heraldry on the other, framing a large black table and multiple leather chairs. Around that was another row of far less comfortable seats, one of which the General had the dubious honour to occupy. The arguments had been going on for hours, and they weren't between the Consul and the Quarian delegation.

The coalition against the geth itself was agreed in principle almost immediately, with provisos that anti-alien elements be suppressed by the Systems Alliance so that quarians might be safer under human protection during the course of the war. The vast majority of the ships the Migrant Fleet had would be required to provide naval and logistical support, which meant their populations had to be emptied. All of which wasn't the trouble. Eden Prime had agreed to take every single one of the quarians, and Shepard had already been dispatched the Cerberus facility within Alliance space to prove human commitment to the coalition.

The problem was that the quarians themselves had been divided on the subject of strategy without knowing it.

With human help, the Migrant Fleet had grown steadily for more than a decade, living conditions raised, reliability increased. In return, humanity gained access to hugely talented engineers and adaptive technology that only a species that relied on ships for survival could provide. It had proven to be the ultimate edge against the Batarian Hegemony, five years earlier. However, for the quarians, it meant a new sense of complacency. Any threat of their population becoming too large for the fleet was eliminated, both by new ship procurements as well as by the extensive visa programme allowing quarian pilgrims free access to almost seventy human colonies and Earth itself.

Now that the chance to regain their homeworld and all its former holdings was within reach, the quarians were at a complete loss. The divisions in their society on the subject of the geth opened up like fresh wounds. Haider had seen the problem coming but could have done nothing to prevent it.

There was the war party led by Han'Gerrel, whom were quite obviously the best shot for the Alliance to get a comprehensive deal, and they were very much ruling the roost for the moment. The peace party led by Admiral Zaal'Koris was notably absent at the meeting, probably because their fortunes had taken a huge blow at Ket'osh. The party who advocated returning the geth to quarian control was small but growing, as the realisation of the size of the quarians' post-war place at the table spread. It was led by the aging Admiral Jalu'Xamos, but she had a very capable successor in Xen.

The deadlock would need to be broken soon. The Alliance Navy was already laying the first path through the Terminus towards geth space, but those supply lines could not be kept open without the quarians.

Haider looked at the Consul. He was listening intently as the argument continued, reserving his comments only for when one or another of the parties included him. A man of relentless perseverance and very much a master of winning the political war of attrition. His DID file was full of instances where he patiently outmanoeuvred an opponent rather than charging in headlong. Not least when he managed to save his political wing from a complete defeat, and forced Dennison into coalition. The General herself had almost lost out on the promotion that saw her placed as head of Army Intelligence.

Haider knew that it wouldn't cut it this time. The quarians, stuck on their ships with nothing better to do, were veteran bickerers. They could argue around the same points again and again, and the probability of them bringing in other leaders from the Migrant Fleet to 'mediate' differences was high. They could be expected to disagree until humanity had done much of the work of clearing the way to the Perseus Veil. In her more dark moments of listening in, Haider even thought that this might be deliberate, that the aliens were thinking that they could let humanity do the messy heavy lifting with regard to the pirates, mercenaries and warlords.

After imagining a supply convoy attacked by T'loak's blue bitches, while the quarians sat twiddling their thumbs in orbit of Ket'osh, a planet that humanity had won for them, Haider decided she had to act. She needed to get the Consul out of the room on some errand or another, and she needed to speak directly to the quarians.

The 'debate' was continuing on the subject of how to deal with the geth, details regarding how best to remove them from Rannoch factoring in now, as Xen argued that fighting for the world would destroy it and Han'Gerrel argued there was no other way. Haider was ready to leave the room in half-despair, when an aide tapped her on the shoulder and handed her a data tablet.

It was a quick report from Shepard. She opened the tab on the screen.

"I have claimed Noveria for the Systems Alliance.

Confirmed reports of Benezia's presence, as well as that of the geth and the rachni. Peak 15 currently a battle zone. Corporate administration complicit with Saren and Benezia. Evidence of corruption uncovered by former secretary to the Administrator. Appointed the secretary as Provisional Governor. Require garrison forces to be sent at once in case of mission failure.

Will proceed to capture Benezia.

Commander Jane Shepard, Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance."

Haider smiled to herself, realising she had what she needed to get deBankole out of the room long enough to speak her piece. Claiming Noveria was perfectly legal, particularly as geth had been spotted there and the government of the planet had attempted to cover up both the geth and the rachni. However, it still could cause a political shitstorm if the Consuls didn't get ahead of it.

She strode over beside the Consul's large leather chair, ignoring his guards as they stood aside, and slapped the tablet down on the table. The conversation stopped completely, the clatter of the impact jarring everyone from the hypnotic talking. The entire room seemed to prick up their ears, to the General's amusement.

"Haider, this better be good," deBankole said, his displeasure at the interruption evident.

"Shepard annexed Noveria for the Alliance," Haider said quietly into his ear, tapping the tablet with her finger, "The geth, the rachni and Benezia." The Consul's eyes shot towards the tablet, followed by his hand. He scanned the text as Haider herself had, then stood up quickly.

"My apologies, Admirals," deBankole said, meaning it, "This meeting must adjourn for an hour."

"Of course, Consul," Raan said in her quarian accent, before anyone else could complain, "We understand completely."

The Consul inclined his head in thanks, half-jumped out of his chair, and paced out of the room followed by his hangers-on. The flurry of activity over, the quarians began to get comfortable, chatting with aides within their own internal factions. Planning the next moves.

Haider moved in front of the Consul's chair, and coughed loudly. The quarians stopped what they were doing, and turned their attention to her.

"Yes, General?" asked Raan.

"While you are all here," Haider replied, "Let's chat."

She sat down in the Consul's seat. She began explaining to the quarians the consequences of waiting too long to decide. Of letting humanity spill its blood for the quarians' homeworld, while they did nothing to help. As well as the glittering future of cooperation.


	31. Chapter 25: Noverian Night

**Chapter 25: Noverian Night**

The enclosed cabin bounced up and down slightly with every step of the walker, the suspension unable to absorb the force of movement. The snow cushioned each stride more than if it had been advancing over concrete or bare stone, but not by much. The motion had a hypnotic effect, one that seemed to overcome even Shepard's well honed battlefield paranoia. She shook her head rapidly for a moment as they crested onto a bridge, before returning her attention to the job of steering.

"Nothing yet..." the Commander muttered, scanning the snowdrifts and glaciers for any sign of geth. No 'flashlight heads' poking out, no hulking mechs spitting balls of plasma, no sign of anything else. Shepard stared forwards, wondering what that meant.

A yawn erupted from the seat behind, breaking her thoughts.

"Where are we?" Liara asked softly. The asari had been sleeping for the hour or so that they had been moving, ever since nightfall. The blizzards had been too bad to move during the day, and the view forwards was still speckled with white flurries.

Shepard relaxed a little. She had been a little worried when Liara had fallen asleep. There was an issue hanging over all their heads, one that had not really been addressed since they arrived. The good mood they had both been in at their arrival on Noveria had disappeared.

"Almost there," Shepard replied, "Just around that large outcrop. You can see the tower already."

She took her hands off the joystick and pointed to the viewscreen. To the angular grey tower illuminated from below, poking out of the mountain's ruggedness like an obelisk. The words 'Peak 15' were just barely discernible through the haze. The Commander thought it might be an eerie sight, if she were susceptible to that sort of idea any more. Even if they were going to a fight they might lose.

Liara remained silent, shifting in her seat slightly, not even acknowledging that they were close to the fight. Close to Benezia. Soon, they would be too close to talk about that fact.

Shepard had arranged for both of them to be placed together, moving Ashley in with Wrex while Garrus rode second seat for Kaidan. It turned out that Peak 15 had an advanced VI, one that ran the entire facility wasn't responding to comms requests, so Tali was riding with Fabius in a hovertank a good bit behind. She hadn't spoken to them the whole way either, except to report obstacles.

Yet despite this conscious effort for privacy, Shepard hadn't been able to bring herself to use it. Liara had quickly fallen asleep, giving her an adequate excuse for her cowardice for a little while. Now, with every step of the vehicle thumping the time left away, her throat was still closed up and her skin burned with embarrassment. To be rendered so useless... she was supposed to be the Angel of Death! The realisation that the difficulty was due to who she had to speak to was almost as bad.

She snapped out of it by force of will.

Quickly, the Commander cleared her throat, exorcising the vice-grip that had been around it for the entire journey. Liara took it as a signal.

"Yes, Shepard?" the asari asked.

"Do you want to talk?" the Commander asked, very carefully assuring that her voice didn't waver, "About Benezia."

"Ah," Liara said, "I do not think there is anything to be said."

The response was a little too quick for it to be true. "We might have to kill her," Shepard continued, "I'm going to try my best to make sure it doesn't happen, but... a lot of the time, that doesn't work out for me." Pretty much all the time, she added in her head.

"It is alright, Shepard," Liara said, "I understand... what has happened or what will happen is not your fault, it is Saren's."

"I just needed you to know that we're going to see some things in there..." Shepard said, "And that I'm going to do what I can." That was all she could do, she figured.

"I understand," Liara replied, her voice lifted, "You are only... I care about..." She became tongue tied quickly. The Commander understood the meaning anyway. She would have to do her best to keep her promise.

A harsh crash of static burst through the comms. Shepard nearly jumped out of her skin with surprise, cursing under her breath as she tapped the controls to bring the volume under control. The crisp voice of a turian soon came into the clear, as a vid feed appeared on a side window of the viewscreen. It was a battle of some sort, but the snows were making it difficult to make out.

"Shepard, my scouts are reporting a huge battle ahead," Fabius said, "Geth fighting rachni, as far as they can tell, and there seems to be thousands of the damn bugs. Not sure I feel comfortable taking the tanks in so close to that."

"No choice," Shepard replied immediately, "If it makes you feel any better, we don't need you to stick around once we're inside. The local security and Benezia's escort should have cleared out the place... mostly."

"That's something, but I suspect that if we get their attention, those rachni aren't going to let us go without a fight," Fabius intoned gravely, "Better to take up a good position in the garage and let them come to us."

"As you wish," Shepard said, "Follow us in. Try not to get my crewmate killed."

"Tali'Zorah is boosting the shields right now," Fabius chuckled, "I think she feels the same way."

A quick check on the rearview camera was enough to confirm that the other two walkers were keeping pace, and behind them, so was the column of hovertanks. The hour of battle had arrived. Shepard turned off the weapons safeties with wave of her hand down the interface to her right and gripped the controls.

"Okay, this is it," Shepard said, "Are you ready, Liara?"

"Let's go find my mother," Liara replied, "I want to see what she has become."

Shepard gave a thumbs up from the front, before opening the channel to her other crewmates.

"The turians are reporting both rachni and geth ahead, and they don't want to get in too close with their tanks because of the cliffs," she said, "So that's our job. Wrex, Kaidan, keep pace with my walker and don't stop for anything. Ashley, Garrus, aim high, the rachni seem to have breached the facility's roof and are coming down onto the geth from the cliffs. Once we're at the garage doors, we'll turn around and cover the turians' approach. Sound good?"

"I don't like this Shepard," Wrex grumbled back, "We're taking a big risk."

"Got to," Shepard replied, "Benezia will know where Saren is."

An cacophony of growls came through the comms. "Well then, if we survive, I guess his hide is mine," Wrex said, "_If _we survive."

"Cheer up," said Kaidan, "If we don't survive this, at least we won't see the aftermath."

Shepard couldn't help but share his cynicism, but also couldn't afford the luxury of acting on it. She pushed the throttle forwards, and the walker's up-down motion rapidly increased as the vehicle began to run forwards. The first flashes of weapon discharges were becoming visible, strobing and pulsing through the darkness like a light show in a seedy nightclub. Except that the silhouettes in the fog weren't dancers.

It was about fifteen minutes later when she saw them clearly. The rachni.

Dozens of the things huddled behind rocks, as geth tracers skidded off the ground and flew through the air around them. They had three-part beaks that opened to screech, sharp claws on hands and tentacles, and enough legs to raise arachnophobia in most. All surrounded with what looked like pretty tough chitinous hide.

Shepard curled her lip. They were disgusting, and yet at the same time, she could see why it had taken the krogan to beat such creatures. Even now, they had spotted the new threat and were coming together to react. She quickly changed to an infrared view, so she could pick the rachni out of the snow with ease. Drooling acid was visible as trails and splatters around the targets. She quietly reminded herself to keep to cover once they were inside, and clicked the comms open.

"Verdun, weapons free," Shepard said in a clipped tone, before pulling the trigger on her joystick.

The twin gatling mass-accelerators whined from a low to a high pitch as they spun up before the growling accompanying the shooting began. The bullets tore into the rachni like nothing the geth had, chewing them to pieces. The fire from Shepard's vehicle was joined by that of the other two, and the rachni skittered away up the cliffs. Garrus and Ashley wasted no time in triggering their weapons. Missiles hissed by and into the rock, exploding among the bugs, followed up by precise bursts from machineguns.

The way forward opened like Moses parting the Red Sea, the wall of chitin giving way to open snow. Shepard felt her lips part into a grin. The bugs were acting on instinct. That would make things easier. She quickly directed the walker into the space they were creating and around the corner they had been unwilling to pass to.

The geth appeared as skeletal figures on the IR scopes, in front of the smooth surface of Peak 15's main tower. They were retreating into the facility. Before she could finish aiming the gatlings, the cannon on top of her walker boomed suddenly, blowing a rank of the synthetics away in a flash. Shepard's eyes widened as she realised who had pulled the trigger.

A glance over her shoulder confirmed that it had been Liara. The asari was transfixed on her own targeting screen, an icy stare with canines bared. It could have lowered the temperature even on Noveria. The cannon thudded another high explosive shot at the geth, destroying a half dozen geth. The rest paced rapidly inside, but with a choreography that denied any notion that they were in a panic.

Shepard frowned, not sure what to make of their retreat or Liara's reaction to them. The geth were cunning. Liara was angry, more so than she had ever seen. A cold rage of frustration that would need soothing in some way. Most likely through expressing it physically. There was little time to waste on such thoughts. The way was clear, more or less.

"Fabius, the rachni have withdrawn for the moment and the geth have returned inside," she reported, "We're going in after them."

"Copy," said Fabius, "We'll join you as soon as we can set up a perimeter."

Which left the geth and probably the rachni inside to the Normandy team alone. Shepard took a breath and released it slowly. Her blood wasn't up yet, she realised, and the dread before a fight remained at the forefront of her mind. Fighting rachni on foot was going to be a whole other piece of work.

The walker's hypnotic motion was far less enticing now, it brought her closer to that fate.

* * *

The hanger was very dark, but the shapes of shuttles and cargo pallets could be made out in the gloom, the faint glow of emergency lighting painting the space with a soft red. Something was moving about in the huge space, something other than the group. Liara could sense it. Shadows moving about with sinister intent. Biting her lip, she unhooked the pistol on her hip and took the safety off, the action automatic from practice.

Shepard stepped forward into the open in front, her own pistol in one hand, her omnitool active on the wrist of the other. "Motion tracker is picking up movement ahead," she whispered via the comms, her face covered by her helmet, "Spread out."

The group paired off. Ashley and Wrex paced underneath a walkway, the one that led to the VI Core. Kaidan and Garrus circled around the first shuttle, moving out of sight. Leaving Liara alone with Shepard. The Commander lost no time in moving to the nearest high crate. Trusting her superior military experience, Liara followed her lead, ducking in beside.

They moved from box to box, pallet to pallet, catching glimpses of the others moving in the exact same manner as they moved towards ever clearer sounds of movement. Liara began to feel hot. Her heart raced ever faster. She began to sweat. It wasn't until they were almost on top of the geth that she realised why all of this was happening.

Two dozen geth and a monstrous pair of krogan in full armour were unpacking something at the end of the hall. Liara's mind went blank.

"Alright, Garrus and Ashley, on my signal..." Shepard started.

Liara heard the Commander began to issue orders, but it didn't matter. With a primal shout, her biotics flared. The dark energy picked up the huge crate that she hid behind, tossing it like it was a can. Blue-purple swirls around it, the container shot through the air and struck the krogan side-on. Caught at chest height, their barriers were useless against such a large mass thrown at such a speed. They were squashed against the floor like bugs, entrails smeared across, glowing an angry dark red. It wasn't enough. Liara stepped forward, making the geth her next prey.

"Open fire!" Shepard ordered, now exposed. The Commander's autoshotgun boomed its drumbeat, and from alcoves all around, the rest of the team joined in. The geth returned fire in confusion, still calculating who was the bigger threat. Liara wasted no time and jumped forwards.

A clenched fist held in front of her as she glided into their midst, Liara summoned a single point of gravity, tearing half the geth from their feet and into the air. A wave of her other fist, and the singularity detonated, showering her with pieces of metal and grey conductive fluids. In the red light, it looked just like blood. Her mind buzzed with a feeling she had not felt herself, but it was familiar nonetheless. She had felt it in another's mind before. In Shepard's mind.

The geth finally decided that she was the primary threat, and charged, their weapons pulsing flying shrapnel at her. Contempt and hatred rising in her throat like bile, Liara held her palm up, relieving the sensation. A bubble surrounded her, bouncing the shots off into the ceiling and walls harmlessly.

The synthetics were unperturbed, and rushed to close the gap, to get to grips with the biotic hand-to-hand. Liara let the unthinking machines move in. Just before they got within arms reach, she threw her hands up from her waist, her fingers curled, and the barrier turned into a chaotic storm that shredded everything it touched and throwing anything at its edges. When it finally dissipated, Liara was left unsatisfied but the fight was over.

Puddles of krogan innards and geth 'blood' were everywhere, and the mix of rotten and acrid smells woke her from her trance. She immediately turned her head, looking for Shepard. The Commander was right behind, her weapon aimed warily at the pieces of geth.

"Wow T'soni, berserk much?" said Ashley over the comms.

"...I" Liara began.

"Are fighting hard for a good reason," Shepard said, completing the sentence, "If you want to commit yourself like that, tell me first so I'm not left hanging. Do that and you can have at it." Liara nodded. She still had plenty left in the tank, and intended to use every drop of it. The geth had to pay, and the krogan mercenaries were just in the way too much to ignore either.

"You're a bad influence, Commander," Garrus joked, as Kaidan and he strode up to rejoin them, "Turning the young archaeologist into a biotic wrecking ball." She glared at the turian, not appreciating the joke at Shepard's expense. Particularly as the fear grew a knot in her belly, as the point might even be true.

Had she discovered her will to fight through joining with Shepard? Or was it just because the geth had helped defile her mother's mind? The possible answers disturbed her.

"Only time I've seen power like that is from a matriarch," Wrex grumbled slowly, "Guess that means Liara had an asari father too. Only way she could have it otherwise." Liara wondered about that too. Her mother had not talked about it much. The subject was an awkward one, especially as she might never get the chance to know more. She stayed silent in the face of the looks of polite inquiry aimed towards her.

"Either way, you must be exhausted," Kaidan said suddenly, "Do you need something to eat?"

Touched by the human biotic's concern and happy he had changed the subject away from her family, she smiled at him, though he could not see it through the mask. "I am fine," Liara replied, surprised to find that it wasn't a lie, "But I will take some food." Kaidan quickly produced an energy bar from his belt, and she took it with gratitude.

"What next, Commander?" Ashley asked, "Go ahead or wait for the turians?"

Shepard looked around, staring at the door towards the tram station that led to the various facilities in Peak 15. She exhaled audibly. Liara knew that meant she had made a choice she didn't like.

"We need to get the VI core back online," Shepard said, "Otherwise it's just going to get colder and colder in here, and the turians don't fight well in the cold. No offence, Garrus."

"None taken," Garrus replied, "It's true, things will be smoother if my people don't have to fight in environment suits."

"That's a plan," Shepard said, a little more encouraged, "Garrus, you take point. The rest of you, follow behind."

The others filed away, weapons raised again. They climbed the stairs, along the walkway and into the next room without another word. Shepard and Liara stayed behind.

"You're going to ask me if I am okay," Liara stated.

"I am," Shepard replied, "All this..." The Commander motioned with her weapon to the scene of carnage around them.

Liara did not shrink from looking at it. She had used her biotics to defend herself before, many times, but certainly not on this scale. There was no guilt. There was just a blankness now. A certainty.

"I do not know why I did it," she said, "It felt good. Right. I must try to save my mother, and destroy Saren and the geth for taking her from me. If this is what I have to do to achieve those ends, I will not hesitate."

Shepard looked down at the ground, rubbing her neck through the soft part of the armour.

"I believe you," she said, her eyes rising to meet Liara's own, "Just... don't try and do it alone, okay?"

Liara reached out and grasped the human's hand. She said nothing. Shepard grabbed back, and she knew she didn't need to.

* * *

The VI core was right beside the tram station, a huge round computer with an elevator in the middle that led down to the controls. A monolith painted red in the dark by the guide beams, turning orange every second with the flash of yellow alarm lights, in the middle of a very wide space, supposedly the reception area. Some desks and consoles had been flipped on their sides, and bullet holes could be made out on the walls. Shepard approached the core, moving through the squad as they covered the tram station entrance, some corridors and elevator shafts. She frowned. There was no shortage of places the enemy could attack from, and the rachni certainly had the numbers to exploit it. Maybe even the geth too, though with the power out, the Commander hoped they wouldn't know that the Alliance had arrived.

A reflection that Liara could probably defeat such an attack alone made her worry, and she suppressed it as quickly as it had come to her.

Shepard nodded to Ashley to cover her. Receiving a thumbs up for reassurance, she lowered her weapon and stepped onto the VI core elevator. A quick tap of the descend button, and she waited for something to happen. Nothing did. A double then triple tap of the button produced no results. She cursed under her breath, and stepped out again.

"VI core is either fried or doesn't work on emergency power," Shepard said via the comms, "We're going to have to walk."

"Maybe not," said Garrus from the rear, "Tali and Fabius are here."

Shepard weaved around the core again and back into the main reception. Fabius was leading the way, his distinctive armour markings giving away his identity among another twenty turians in full helmets. Tali was directly behind him, holding a pistol in the hand that wasn't slung. Shepard smiled behind her mask. The odds were a little more even now.

"Shepard, the perimeter in the valley outside is set up," the turian captain reported, "Thought you could use some help in here."

"There weren't many geth left in the garage," said Shepard, "Benezia must have most of them with her. Yeah, we'll probably need the help."

"Perhaps it is best if we do not proceed in that case," Fabius mused, "If she ordered most of them back, perhaps the number of rachni is higher than we thought." The information Shepard had on numbers was sketchy at best, and Fabius had not been pleased about that when she had relayed this at first. He was a surprisingly cautious person, she thought.

"We can't afford to let her escape or die, she knows too much. We need to restore power to get the tram working. I don't want to walk in a dark tunnel with no transport," Shepard said, omitting that she wanted Benezia alive for personal reasons, "Tali, think you can get the reactors working?"

"It depends what is wrong," the young quarian replied, "If it is anything serious, it may take a while."

"We'll just have to go see then, won't we?" said Shepard, "The elevators aren't working without power, so we'll have to rope down their shafts to get to the reactor level."

"We can handle that, Shepard," Fabius said, "The outside might be guarded, but the number of air ducts concerns me. If we leave Miss Zorah here with you, we can restore power and you can reboot the VI immediately. Maybe we'll get some idea of what is going on in this asylum then."

Shepard nodded, and led the way to the elevator to the reactors. Ashley was still guarding it. The turians immediately cracked out the crowbars, and began working the doors open. The Gunnery-Chief slid over beside Shepard.

"They're going down?" Ashley asked, "Shouldn't we do it?"

"They're just going to see what's wrong with the reactor," said Shepard, "If it's anything that can't be fixed easily, we'll send Tali down once the place is secure. If not, they can turn it back on and Tali can get the VI working."

"No, I mean isn't this an Alliance operation?" Ashley continued, "Is cooperating such a good idea? What if Fabius gets other ideas?"

Shepard pursed her lips, remembering Ashley's surname and the connotations associated with it. "I'm a Spectre, remember?" she said, "If Fabius does anything that threatens the mission, it's his ass on the line when word gets back to the Council."

The Gunnery-Chief snorted her amusement. "The Council, helping us keep turians in line," she said, "Who ever thought that would happen?"

Shepard shrugged. She didn't care as long as it allowed her to get to Benezia, and via the matriarch, to Saren himself.

Ashley turned away from the turians descending downwards and looked around the large space again. "Commander, maybe we should get to a better position," she said quietly, "Whoever made a stand here didn't make it." The scars of a firefight were even more present here, yet there were no bodies and seemingly no blood.

A terrible idea came to Shepard's mind. She began tapping on her omnitool, moving through the options until she got to the one she wanted. On her wrist, her secondary flashlight spilled ultraviolet light out, and she pointed it at the ground. The floor glowed with blotches of liquids. Some were harmless looking spills, where someone had spilled coffee. Most were far more sinister. Large pools, drag marks, wall splatters. Shepard felt like a spear had been driven through her. The drag marks led to the air vents at the edge of the walls.

"Wrex," Shepard said over the comms quietly, "Do you know anything about rachni feeding habits?"

"Rachni feeding habits?" the krogan boomed back, "Not much, only that they'll eat almost anything living and don't leave any meat behind if they can help it. Why?"

"Oh, shit," said Ashley, realising what the Commander was showing her, "We're screwed."

"Everyone gather at the VI core, now," ordered Shepard.

"Too late, we've got movement," Kaidan reported from the rear, "My tracker is showing contacts from three directions. Approaching fast."

"They'll get here before you can," Garrus added.

"Everyone else, move!" Shepard shouted, "Tali, you too."

Shepard broke out into a sprint, rounding the VI core and across the large reception area, dodging the debris. Ashley was not far behind, and they reached Tali, Wrex and Liara quickly. The krogan was battering at a door.

"What's the hold up?!" she demanded.

"Damn door shut for some reason," Wrex replied, "Console said something about contamination."

"Garrus and Kaidan are in there alone!" Tali said from the console, her omnitool glowing, "But it won't let me open it."

Rapid gunfire echoed from behind the doors, the snapping of Kaidan's pistol joining the sawing of Garrus' rifle. Screeches of pain were just audible in between the bursts. Shepard gritted her teeth. Should she blow the doors? Should she wait for Tali to hack the console?

"Commander, there's too many of them!" Kaidan reported through static, before being cut off.

Liara pulled Tali and Wrex away, and placed her hands on the two doors. Closing her eyes, she was enveloped by her biotics. The doors groaned a complaint, then another, before buckling slightly as the metal began to fatigue from the constant pressure. Realising that the door would go soon, there was little time to waste. The screeches were getting louder. Shepard waved to the others to be ready.

"Garrus, Kaidan, if you can hear this, duck," Shepard said on the comms, and raised her weapon.

Like a conductor in front of an orchestra, Liara waited until the cracks in the doors' edges were visible, and waved her wrists simultaneously. Again, biotic flares flew like purple fire, and the doors burst open with a sharp crack.

"GO!" Shepard shouted, rushing forwards. Ashley and Wrex were hot on her heels, following directly behind as she passed.

The corridor ahead was a wall of chitin. The creatures that had been outside were packed in like sardines, rushing ahead in a wave and pushing aside their dead. The walls and roof were covered with swarms of smaller bugs about the size of a cat, without the tentacle-claws but drooling the same acidic venom. In front of this, Garrus was gallantly holding his own, shooting his rifle until its heatsink was expended. He fired with his pistol as he cocked the rifle to reload. He was alone.

Kaidan was on his stomach by a half dozen dead rachni warriors, a huge gash in his back through his armour and skin draining into an alarmingly large pool of blood gathering under him. His biotics flashed a little, but he didn't seem to be moving. One look was enough to know that his life was very close to ending.

The sight brought back all the old horrors. Shepard found her mind overtaken with battlelust.

All unnecessary sensation left her body. She marched forward, stepping over Kaidan and his victims, and took aim at the horde approaching to murder them all. The autoshotgun in her hands barked once, slicing a rachni climbing out of a vent in two at the waist. A spray of green ichor lashed against the wall, and the rest of the body disappeared back down the vent. It was spectacular enough for Garrus to notice.

The turian turned and ran behind the line. Shepard brought her weapon to her shoulder and stopped in front of the advancing monsters. Ashley and Wrex came level, the former copying the commander, the latter keeping his weapon on the hip. All three shotguns roared, strobing their light in the red-darkness like camera flashes. The rachni were shown in brief and repeated glimpses of death. Limbs carved away, heads exploding, ichor and guts falling to the ground. As these images moved further away, Shepard found herself compelled to walk forwards, through the wet entrails, to add to the pile.

When Ashley and Wrex ended the fight with a pair of Carnage rifle-grenades, scattering the last survivors, Shepard's feelings were quenched, but only just. Her jaw clenched, and she kicked the nearest corpse hard. The thing twitched, as if complaining. Her last available shot put an end to that.

Shepard's thoughts turned back to her crewmates, cooling off without something to shoot at, something to blame. She rushed back through the piles of dead, crunching and squelching the whole way, disgusted. Tali and Liara were leaning over Kaidan, the former scanning him, the latter applying medigel to the huge wound. She knelt down beside them.

"Rachni popped up from under us before I could react," Garrus explained from the side, "He took out most of them with his biotics, but couldn't stop the last one before it attacked." Shepard inclined her head, motioning that she didn't blame him for what had happened.

"The doors shutting down is why he's like this. Is there a medical facility here?" Shepard asked, not even daring to think that the lieutenant wouldn't make it, "With the storms, I don't think we can get him to Karen."

"There's one on the upper levels," Tali replied, "But without the VI, I can't don't know enough about humans to do anything anyway... I think his spine is cut just above his hip, Shepard."

Cursing loudly, Shepard stood up and took off her helmet to put her face in her hand. The air was very cold, but she couldn't feel it. A spinal would put Kaidan out of action likely until after they had caught Saren. Cloning and implanting that tissue was delicate work, she knew. Assuming he did survive, as she had to. The thought of him not being there to see the victory was horrifying, after he had watched Jenkins die at the hands of the geth on Eden Prime and had fought through all the rest of it.

Shepard put down the feeling of despair hard, and fell back onto her training.

"I need two volunteers to stay here with Kaidan," Shepard said, "The turians will have to come with us or guard the garage, so they'll be alone up here."

"I'll stay, I won't be any use against asari commandos anyway," Tali said quietly, "Not like this." A wave of her slung arm followed. Shepard was warmed by the quarian's courage, and reassured by her realism. No point leaving one injured squadmate behind while bringing another, after all.

"I'll stay with them too," said Ashley defiantly, "If the rachni show up again, I'm not going to be playing the damsel in distress for Fabius' people. We'll hold our own." The Gunnery-Chief brought up her shotgun and released the nearly-spent heatsink to illustrate her intent.

Shepard nodded her assent, approving of the sentiment completely.

A deep yet slight humming began, followed by the lights flickering and finally turning on. A few of the bulbs shattered and sparked, leaving some of the space in darkness, but not enough to hide the gruesome details of the fight that were now revealed fully. Shepard gagging a little, the smells beginning to bother her now that she understood what they were coming from.

"Commander, this is Fabius. We got the internal comms working in this section and restored fuel to the reactor," the turian captain reported, "Encountered a platoon of geth, but they were distracted and we took them out. No casualties."

Lucky bastard, Shepard thought. "Good to hear, Captain," she replied wearily, "We tangled with a large group of rachni and it got ugly. The base attempted to quarantine the things in a corridor with two of my people trapped inside. My lieutenant is seriously wounded. Get back up here, we're going to get Benezia."

An awkward pause followed.

"Understood, Commander," Fabius replied reluctantly, "We're en route."

Shepard could almost hear the swallowed objection in his tone, but couldn't blame him. To the Captain, Kaidan's wound was another reason not to proceed. To her, it was another reason to push forward hard and fast. There was no need to reprimand the turian for his difference of opinion. She was in command.

"We'll meet you at the tram station," said Shepard, not letting her voice betray her feelings.

* * *

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is half of what I have written so far, but given how long this has taken to get out, I thought getting something out first was better than letting people wait. _

_Reviews make me write and edit faster, and so are very much appreciated!_


	32. Chapter 26: Two Queens, Three Aces

**Chapter 26: Two Queens, Three Aces**

Noveria was a dangerous world, and not only because of the climate. Since First Contact, corporations had set up there, where no one would bother them. Research, industrial espionage, financial manoeuvres, no matter what the agenda, the world allowed them to proceed without oversight. The galaxy tolerated it only because the ends were lucrative and the means unknown.

Mari pushed a strand of her blonde hair out of the way, and looked out of the forward window at the planet. Her right eye saw the white ball pockmarked with grey and black lines that everyone else saw. Her left eye was lost long ago, its bionic replacement allowing her to see much more if she wanted. She invariably wanted to see more. She had rejected a cloned eye to gain the advantages of augmented sight.

The world was very much alive to her. The signs of habitation more obvious, the snows not merging in a single mesh but making up a complex environment. Complex was the right word. High Command had given complex orders about the presence of her ship and what it was to do if necessary. And yet somewhere down there was Jane. Whom she had seen grow from a baby to a woman, from an innocent into the Angel of Death.

"Captain Stokke, setting geosynchronous orbit over Peak 15. The wolfpack we came in with is spreading out into a defensive formation around the planet," said the flight lieutenant, his voice steady, "We have forty three hours before safety venting." He was new. He didn't yet know that she monitored everything. He would learn quickly or Mari wouldn't even bother to learn his name.

"Understood, lieutenant," Mari replied, "XO, watch local traffic. I want to know if a civilian is even thinking about running into us. We're not exactly visible to them at the moment."

"Aye, Captain," said Commander Taylor, "Navigation, Comms, reactivate the surveillance buoy at the mass relay." The acknowledgements came, and Taylor took to watching the nav data himself. There were no shortage of civilian contacts to watch. Noveria was on a shipping lane, after all. The wolfpack that had arrived was there to move them away from the planet.

Mari smirked. Easy on the eyes, polite, and he copied her best habits. Jacob Taylor had come with her from _SSV Rorke's Drift_, and it was great comfort_._ She wished she could have taken the whole crew, but the need for secrecy prevented that. Officially, both of them were on leave. Everyone else was either a fresh recruit or 'on leave' too.

That was the sort of assignment that the _Churubusco_ was, and the sort of mission it was on. Noveria had too many secrets, too many potential threats. Mari knew she was there to cover many asses, and while she had made complaints, they weren't listened to. Something was down there that scared the shit out of the brass.

So that's what she did. Covered their asses. Though Mari had ulterior motives now.

"Still no word from the Normandy about Shepard?" she asked, directing the question at the XO.

"They reported that communications with Peak 15 are down, disabled from that end," the Commander replied, "The storm means we can't contact them directly either."

"Not knowing... I don't like it," Mari said, hand on chin, "When will the storm die down enough for us to contact anyone on Peak 15?"

Taylor tapped on his console, bringing up a report on the glowing screen. "Local meteorology said three hours an hour ago," he reported, "Until its clear enough to speak."

Mari frowned. That was too long. Her orders were supposed to rely on information gathered by the Normandy, but if they were getting none, the mission was in danger. Shepard herself probably was too, though that was no surprise. Not even a worry, really.

"How long until it's clear enough to land a shuttle?" she asked.

"Sooner," Taylor replied with a smile. He knew where she was going with that question.

"Mister Taylor, order your marines to prepare for subzero ground combat," Mari said, settling further into her chair, "When the time comes, you will lead the strike team. I get the feeling that something is wrong."

"Yes ma'am," Taylor said. He made the arrangements in a quieter voice.

The ship only had one shuttle and four marines other than the XO himself, but the situation was too strange to ignore. The other frigates were unaware of their presence.

Taylor's console started beeping again, an incoming communications alert drawing his fingers to tapping at it.

"Shepard got limited comms restored, sent a report... getting it now," he continued, reading through it as he spoke, "Looks like the facility is overrun with … rachni?"

Mari looked at the XO, eyes opened wide. No one had told her about that possibility. And she had a sneaking suspicion that was why she had been pulled from Sol to come here with a full complement of weapons.

"Aren't they supposed to be extinct?" Taylor asked.

"Yes, most definitely," said Mari, turning her attention back to the planet, "Our other ships aren't here to watch the planet, and we can't break mission protocol by contacting them. You're going down there, just in case Shepard needs evac."

"I'll try not to get killed," the XO joked.

"That would be best," Mari smiled back.

* * *

The tram moved down the tunnel, like it was being swallowed whole by some gigantic creature. The air-conditioning, which warmed the interior up to a balmy level, almost made it sound as if the tunnel was breathing in combination with the hum of the engine. The air itself was humid to boot. Everyone had taken off their hostile environment masks, and stripped off the external thermal padding.

Shepard stood at the front, watching the lights of the stations ahead and below approach through the glass windows. It was a three kilometre journey from the main residential and utility tower to the special clearance only laboratory at the other side of the mountain. The reflections of the others preparing for battle moved against the general darkness pouring in from the outside. Wrex was checking his weapons. Garrus stood silently. Liara sat down on a bench, her eyes looking at the ceiling, deep in thought. Three or four dozen turian soldiers spoke to each other in a corner, Fabius in the centre listening and interjecting a word or two.

They all looked so calm on the outside. Shepard felt a twist of trepidation in her own chest, not comforted by the outward display of serenity from the others. She closed her eyes and sighed. It was the eye of the storm, she knew.

"Commander," said Fabius. Shepard flinched. She hadn't heard him approach.

"Captain," she replied, "Are your people ready?"

"To take on thousands of rachni in an enclosed space?" he said quietly, "Not a chance, but you've made it clear that is what needs to happen."

Shepard glared at him. "If we don't get the intelligence Benezia is holding, Saren will bring down the apocalypse on the whole galaxy. Every one of us is expendable when it comes to that."

"This is entirely reckless," Fabius continued, "If Benezia is still alive, she'll stay that way until reinforcements arrive. If she's dead, then you've already lost the information you seek or it can be recovered later. The rachni aren't likely to be interested in a console or data key. There is still time to turn back." He had made the same objections, albeit in not so many words, at the station that was shrinking in the distance behind them.

Shepard rounded on the turian, teeth bared. "Benezia possesses more than just the location of Saren," she said, her voice rising in volume, "She has been indoctrinated, her brain altered to serve him. Taking her alive may be the only way to understand that process in its most dangerous form. Not to mention I need her to tell the Council herself that the Reapers are coming, and what they are if she knows. She dies, and we might not win even if we do find Saren!"

And who knew what it would do to Liara. Shepard gritted her teeth at her conscience for that one.

Fabius' mandibles flared, and he averted his eyes. The eyes of every occupant of the tram were aimed their way. The captain stood by in a more deferential posture, head lower that it had been when he had first spoken. Shepard turned her head away, briefly glancing at Liara's cool gaze, back to the tunnel ahead. There had been little need for the outburst. The burden of the hunt was growing on her. She thought to apologise.

The lights of the far station flickered, and died down considerably. Movement of long shadows heralded the approach of a large number of somethings. It could only be the rachni, Shepard knew. She pulled her shotgun off her hip by the grip.

"Rachni!" Shepard shouted, "Stand to!"

A rumble of feet moving and guns being cocked erupted from behind, confirming that the discovery had not shattered anyone's nerves. Shepard turned her weapon on the windowpane, shattering it with a single blast. Turians began drawing up in ranks, laying down in front, while others began kneeling and standing in the middle of the tram compartment facing outwards. A strange, absurdly old-fashioned thing to do, but there was little time to dwell on it.

The rachni were coming up the tunnel, scrabbling along the walls, clinging to the roof, bounding between the rails. The train was about half way to the labs.

"Fire by rank, I want continuous suppression. No mistakes," Fabius said, "Let the train go through them."

Shepard moved into the middle of the bubble of armed turians to join her crewmates, when the whole tram jerked, decelerating rapidly. She fell forwards onto a bench, bowling over a crouched Ashley and bumping into Wrex. The careful turian formation toppled like well placed dominoes, but the forces soon stopped their pull on them all. The recovery was instantaneous. Very turian.

"Obstruction on tracks, emergency stop complete," chimed the tram computer, "Please proceed via footway to the Peak 15 Residential Facility, located on level G1."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Shepard shouted. Between emergency quarantines and emergency stops, health and safety measures were going to get every one killed.

The rachni began crying and screeching, in what must have sounded like triumph to their ear. They would be inside in seconds. The tram had turned from a shooting gallery on wheels into a cage. All the rachni needed to do was crawl under, around and over it, and then press home. Shepard opened her mouth to give an order, but Fabius beat her to it.

"Spirits damn it!" he roared, "Advance!"

The turians on the ground picked themselves up and stepped off the front of the tram onto the concrete below, never breaking ranks. Flashlights lit up the space. The firing began at the horde oncoming, eliciting shrieks of pain and gobbets of acid, the strobes of the gun reports revealing horrible carnage. The next platoon fell in behind them perfectly, firing at those on the ceiling, knocking a good number down and into the mob below. Shepard followed Fabius forward, waving her own crew to join her, as the last platoon enveloped them.

The distance closed rapidly, despite the wall of hypervelocity slugs the rachni faced. The dead creatures left behind started to interrupt the turians' steps and disciplined fire. Horror built in Shepard's throat. The rachni reached the turians, and began shredding them. The men and women desperately tried to fend off the tentacles and claws with riflebutts and the remaining shots in their weapons, but it wasn't enough. The rachni used the bodies of their dead as shields, holding them up with their forelimbs and striking out with their tentacles from behind.

What part of Shepard's forebrain remained awake told her to send a message to the Turian High Command to issue their soldiers with omniblades... Alliance troops would not have been left so helpless in a fight like that. That lives were being lost due to the lack of foresight sickened her stomach. Her grasp on her weapon becoming strained, she moved outside the protective shield of the turians ahead and jogged along the pathway that ran alongside the tracks. The rachni ahead took note, and she fired into them on full automatic.

The shotgun sprayed shards of metal out, seven or eight at a time. Two or three rachni recoiled or fell with each shot. The next turian section joined in, supported by Wrex and Garrus. The advance continued, but with each step, the rachni mob closed in once again. A low, continuous growl rose out of Shepard, as she tapped her omnitool to prepare to get to grips with them.

Wrex clotheslined an errant rachni that had decided to drop down beside him, and that was the signal for them all to leap forwards. Shepard fired again, tracking them mid-flight. A cluster flew right towards her heedlessly, the middle of the giant insects' attack blown away. She pulled the trigger again. The weapon complained. It needed a new heat sink, and there was no time to reload. Slapping her omnitool, the Commander prepared to fight to the death.

A blue bubble washed down the tunnel, slapping the rachni backwards. Those who had been jumping were tossed roughly down the tunnel, hard enough to seriously injure their fellows that were in the way. The creatures that had been clinging to the walls or along the ground were flipped over, helpless. The turians stopped firing for a brief moment, as they took stock of what had just saved them.

Shepard didn't bother, instead using the time to reload her shotgun and deactivate her omniblade. She already knew who had done it. Liara stepped forwards, pistol raised in one hand, the other curled into a fist held at shoulder height. The pistol flashed as it shot, reminding the turians to fight. They did so almost reluctantly, resuming their shooting one at a time rather than by the ranks. They stopped advancing too, leaving it to the Normandy team. They had learned to fear the rachni getting too close.

The rachni rallied and looked to charge again, but with another wave of her first, Liara sent a shockwave pulse of biotic energy through the much more ragged groups. The shrieks changed pitch and frequency, like the rachni were saying something other than 'kill them all'. They began to back off, spitting more acid than they had bothered to before.

"They don't like biotics," Wrex thought aloud. Rising up, he waved his palm at the nearest group of the enemy, blue flares around him. They grew vicious cutting wounds as the flares passed through, losing limbs. Tentacles flailed about uselessly, guts spilled, and puke green blood poured out of wounds onto the concrete, joining the flow down the slope. As if receiving an electronic command, the rest of the rachni turned and ran, skittering away. Stray shots chased after them, but the turians decided to use the time to try and recover their wounded.

Shepard stopped herself gagging, as the fresh wave of fetid air washed over her.

"Good work Wrex, though I could have done without smelling _that_," she said, pointing at the pile of dismembered and disembowelled bugs. The pile twitched and drooled, sending a shiver of disgust down her spine. There never was anything pleasant about guts.

"As if you haven't smelled worse," Wrex shot back, "It worked didn't it? Look, the whole way to the station is clear now." A claw indicated towards the station, still a good kilometre away. The rachni were throwing themselves back into the air vents and escape shafts with great haste. Shepard grimaced at the thought of having to clear them out of that.

"Yeah, but shooting the rachni out here would have been a lot easier than shooting them when we get down there," she replied, "Who knows how many of the things are left?"

Garrus wandered forwards, taking point. "Enough of them, we can count on that. It'll be a bloodbath."

"Maybe not," Liara replied, "Wrex was right. They are afraid of biotics."

Shepard smiled at the asari. Liara had hit on something that could save the mission.

"And we just so happen to have two biotics ready," said Shepard, "But they weren't afraid of Kaidan, and he's a more powerful biotic than Wrex is." A grunt of concession came from the krogan, clearly not happy about being bettered by a human.

"Kaidan didn't have the chance to use biotics," Garrus replied, "By the time the doors came down on us, they were already coming out of the vents on all sides."

"As long as we are careful, I believe we can make it to Benezia without another rachni encounter," Liara said, "Or at least, we can reduce the risk of being killed."

"There's just one problem with that," said a turian voice from behind. Shepard turned, finding Fabius there, covered in blue blood. The blood of his subordinates. A pang of pity ran through her, as the Captain walked up to join the circle.

"You don't seem to be considering _why_ the rachni are afraid of biotics," Fabius continued.

"Go on then, turian," Wrex said grumpily, "Explain to _me_ why." Shepard winced. The krogan were responsible for beating the rachni the first time around. Wrex was not pleased to take advice on killing them from a turian. She moved to intervene, but Fabius wasn't put off by the hostility at all.

"There is good news and bad news," Fabius replied, looking directly at Wrex, "The good news is that if they are afraid of something, then they are not acting under direction of a queen. They're an unruly mob, grouping together to attack anything that looks like a threat. Eventually, they'd clear the area of threats and one of them would turn into a new queen, but that would take months."

Shepard nodded her approval. The man had been well briefed on his foe, at least.

"So, Liara is right," she replied, "We can use biotics to get through."

"Yes, but the bad news is related to that," said Fabius, turning to Liara, "They're mindless drones, acting on instinct but capable of learning. Who do you think taught them to fear biotics?"

"I suppose that the facility's scientists could have experimented on behavioural conditioning to control them in battle," said Liara, "But it is far more likely that they learned to fear biotics as my mother's asari commandos defended her."

"Exactly!" Fabius exclaimed, "Which means?"

"That most of the commandos are still alive," Shepard completed, "Shit."

"Shit is right, Commander," Fabius said, before thumbing over his shoulder, "We've taken far too many casualties to take on even the small number of commandos that Benezia has with her. Never mind the geth."

Shepard frowned. Fabius was very damned cautious, for a turian.

"You want us to withdraw," she said flatly, "Again."

"I doubt there is anything I can say that could convince you of that," Fabius said lowly, "As you will undoubtedly want to advance anyway, you should take your team in without us. The only thing that will let you defeat Benezia's entourage is a surprise attack, one that can let you kill as many of the asari as possible before they can react. You'll never get close enough for that if my troops come along, it would attract the rachni."

"And what will you do?" Wrex grumbled, "Run back to Port Hanshan, with your head up your ass?"

"He has a point," Garrus added, "Not very gallant of you to simply say that you're going to leave the hard work to us."

Fabius gave Garrus a dark look, like he was a traitor. For working with a krogan. Garrus stared back coolly.

"Someone will have to clear the tracks, get the tram moving again and guard the station," Fabius said, "We'll keep the extraction route open. No point in you getting to Benezia, only to end up trapped like she is."

It was a good idea, Shepard thought, even if Wrex did think it cowardly. The rachni were more likely to ignore them in a small group. They hadn't attacked immediately in the residential tower, unlike the tunnel. The noise of the tram's approach was probably what had set off the assault. Coupled with biotics, there was a good chance they could make it through.

"Okay Captain, secure the station," Shepard said, "Liara, Wrex, Garrus, with me."

Fabius nodded once, and turned back to reorganise what was left of his platoons. Their hardest fight was yet to come. They would have no biotics and would represent the greatest threat, when the rachni decided to come looking again. Shepard gave them a small salute, behind their backs, before turning away to begin the walk down the tunnel.

"Always into another firestorm," Garrus said with amusement. Wrex rumbled his approval in his throat. Liara stayed quiet, falling in beside Shepard as they picked their way over the rachni corpses.

Together, they made their way towards the uncertain scenarios that awaited.

* * *

Shepard led the way into the living quarters where the technicians slept between long shifts, when the secrecy required was absolute. The way to the 'hot labs' had been sealed, and given their name, everyone was very glad to hear it. At least the threat of thousands of rachni boiling through the corridors behind them was made less remote by that fact.

The way forward was not much comfort however. The place was pretty much the same as any other corridor in Peak 15 or even Port Hanshan. Prefabricated walls, floors, window sections, decent tables and chairs that all looked like each other. Corporate cost efficiency at work, in other words. Except every section had been turned into a complete shambles, growing more so as they advanced.

"You seeing this Commander?" Garrus said, "Looks like hits from small arms... Some explosives damage, doesn't look military grade."

Shepard examined the holes on the walls. Some were ragged tears, with telltale green splotches inside them. Rachni got tagged there at some point. Far more numerous were the smaller, rounded holes indicating that many someones had missed their mark with mass accelerators. Corporate security wasn't always ex-military, she remembered sourly. Poor bastards.

"No bodies," Liara said sadly, "I hope they were dead before..."

"Yeah, don't finish that sentence," Wrex interrupted, "No need to give yourself nightmares."

"Krogan have nightmares?" Garrus said, the joke coming out too flat to be sincere.

"Not about rachni," Wrex replied, "Mostly, we dream about getting killed before we're born." Shepard frowned, pausing before the next corner.

"Ah... sorry," Garrus said. Wrex shook his head, pushing past to join Shepard at the corner. The Commander was glad to have them away from each other for a moment. Genophage talk was dangerous around Wrex for the obvious reasons.

Together, Wrex and Shepard stormed around the bend in the building, shotguns raised, only to almost run into a barricade. Garrus and Liara joined them, keeping their eyes to the rear for the most part.

"Wow," said Shepard, just barely stopping in time.

"Desks, crates and consoles," Wrex added, "Welded together. Not much of a barrier. I could smash through this crap even without biotics."

Shepard slammed the bottom of her fist against the nearest part of the barricade. It shuddered, confirming Wrex's point. It could never have held out against the rachni.

"It's still intact," she said, activating her omnitool, "But I'm not getting any movement. I guess the rachni must have given up pretty easily on trying to get past it."

"Fabius is going to be in trouble if he sets up forward defences," Garrus said, "Lucky he doesn't seem to be very orthadox to me."

"Which is like saying he's crazy," Shepard replied, "If he was human."

"Well, he isn't," said Garrus, "His caution looks a lot like cowardice. Or it would, to people higher up in the line of succession."

"Maybe he's someone's cousin," Wrex shrugged, "Turians like to talk big about meritocracy, but I've seen just as many promote their kin just because."

"Only their kin that can handle the job," Garrus replied, "Anyway, hopefully he won't be stupid to set up anywhere there are vents he can't block."

Wrex shoved at a large desk parked upright on the edge of the barricade, and that part tumbled back, opening just enough room to squat through. He managed to bump his hump on the top of the section as he went through, but didn't seem to mind.

"Clear," he reported, "Some green stains about, but otherwise, no sign of anyone."

Shepard stepped through next, and found it was a mess hall. The same sort of materials used in the barricade were set up as protected firing points, and the floor was littered with spent heatsinks. Some of the items had been partially melted. The rachni's acid had done its job here. Knowing that already, Shepard searched the walls for a sign to tell her where to go next. She found it.

"Primary biotech experiment facility," she read aloud, "Sound like our ticket?"

"Yeah, sounds like a real party," Garrus said, "Makes me miss Chora's Den."

"I'm sure if Ashley were here, she'd say you missing a strip club was no surprise," Shepard joked back, "But I'm less judgemental than she is."

"Actually, Chora's Den was a great place to get informants," said Garrus, hefting his rifle, "We're not likely to find anyone willing to help us where we're going."

Shepard tilted her head, unable to come up with an argument against that. Part of her wanted to hope that Benezia might come to her senses and surrender, but she doubted it. Before she could wave Wrex forward towards the corridor indicated, the comms crackled to life once more.

"Commander, are you reading this?" came a voice, half washed in static.

"Pressly, is that you?" Shepard responded, "We're in Peak 15."

Some garbled shouts erupted. A woman's voice joined in briefly, and the static briefly rose in volume before being banished entirely.

"We heard you loud and clear, Commander," Pressly continued, "It seems Tali'Zorah has managed to repair the facility's commlink. About time."

"I thought it would be nice in case we needed to get out," Tali cut in.

"How is Kaidan?" Shepard asked.

"We managed to stabilise him," Tali replied, "Just barely. Ashley is talking to some of the turians, they saw a lot of rachni moving about outside."

"That's why I am glad we could contact you, Commander," said Pressly, seeming to be more out of breath, "A wolfpack arrived to quarantine the planet, but the rachni just attacked the perimeter here. It was beaten off. It was just a probing attack I said, but the corpers don't want to hear it. They're staying behind, and say we can't force them to leave. I said I damn well could if I wanted to, Noveria is under military law, but they are acting stubborn."

Shepard opened her mouth to order him to do it. Putting their lives at risk fighting the rachni was stupidity, better to evacuate Port Hanshan. Or it should have been. If the personnel left, the whole settlement would be left to the rachni until a relief force could retake it. At which point, there would be no one to complain when the military searched all the corporate offices and found incriminating evidence. There was no way anyone with a stake in Noveria was going to allow that.

Getting the civilians out was going to be impossible, particularly as their security forces were Elanus Risk Control, a company that bonded to other corporations' profit margins. Every guard on Noveria had a personal stake in the success of projects there.

"Pressly, grab the new Governor and dust off," Shepard said, "As soon as possible, I want you in orbit."

"Yes, ma'am," Pressly replied, "What about Port Hanshan?"

"Trying to force everyone out would just give the rachni an opportunity to attack and win," Shepard replied, "All we can do is pray that the security forces hold out long enough for the Alliance troops I requested to arrive in time."

"Aye, ma'am," Pressly replied, "Anything you want to report to the High Command?"

"It appears that the staff in the top secret labs are all missing, likely dead," Shepard replied, "They tried to barricade a whole wing, the rachni got in anyway. There are no bodies, but Wrex says the rachni don't tend to leave those lying around long."

"Eh, Shepard, I managed to get the employee location trackers working a little while ago," said Tali, "Most of them are moving, either in the hot labs or outside the primary biotech facility."

"Tali, do you remember what I said about the rachni and corpses?" Wrex said, "Those aren't the scientists moving."

The pause in conversation as Tali considered the issue was not amusing. Shepard could not help but think of what had happened where she was standing.

"Oh," said Tali, "Thats... awful."

"Also useful," Garrus said, "Can you tell us if we get close to any of the contacts?"

"Sure..." said Tali sadly, "I guess their deaths won't be entirely in vain."

"I hope so too," Liara said, "If it helps us find Saren, their sacrifice will be remembered."

* * *

It was a simple matter to avoid the large rachni clusters with Tali's help, though Shepard could not help but note that as they got closer to the biotech lab, the route they were taking became more and more winding. Down escape shafts, through maintenance corridors, through power rooms. The rachni were moving around the spaces next to the lab itself, looking for new ways in. Shepard would have done the same thing if she had faced what the rachni clearly were.

The sound of gunfire echoed through every hall and room, muffled to varying degrees and changing pitch as they got closer. More than simple mass accelerators too.

A deeper thumping sound was occasionally heard, one that sent a tingle of familiarity through Shepard's mind. They were coming up on a cargo access room directly joined to the lab itself, one that Tali could open and seal from her end and one that the rachni probably couldn't penetrate. Wrex, Shepard, Liara and Garrus entered in turn, and the door sealed behind them. It was a square shaped room with four doors, two large ones opening into the lab and an empty shuttle pad, two small doors opening into the corridors.

"Room secure," said Tali, letting them all relax a little. The sound of the discharges was far louder now, and the boom arrived once more, far more loudly and clearly than before.

"That was a RAM rifle," Shepard said through her teeth, "Of course it was, they're commandos." The Commander clenched her fist. Being killed because of humanity's success in the arms trade seemed like a poor irony.

"Shouldn't sell your guns to people you might fight, Shepard," Wrex grumbled, giving voice to her own thoughts on the matter.

"How else would they make money?" Garrus replied, "Their guns are pretty good, most of the other stuff is just cheap knockoffs."

"Cheap knockoffs that sell like hotcakes," Shepard replied, before realising that no one present would understand that phrase, "What are we going to do about this? Even if we go in there, guns blazing, their markswomen can pick us off like fish in a barrel." Three booms echoed in succession, betraying still more unfortunate information.

"They appear to have more than one," Liara said, paling slightly. Shepard didn't blame her. The asari herself had blown away a fully armoured krogan on Feros with the very same weapon. With one shot.

"Easy solution," said Wrex, "We pack every last gram of explosives we have onto that door, knocking everyone anywhere near the door out cold. Should be lots of smoke too. We charge in, take the dazed survivors by surprise, get the matriarch. Not complicated stuff."

"And if we kill Benezia?" Shepard asked, "Or destroy the intelligence we want?"

"A matriarch isn't going to die from one little explosion," Garrus said, "She'll likely have her barriers up fully."

"It's a risk we have to take," Liara said firmly, "We cannot afford to wait."

Shepard turned, and saw absolute determination written all over Liara's face, and impatience in her body language. She was shifting her weight, moving her fingers as they gripped her pistol. It was three against one for the plan, and the one that mattered was for it either way.

"Alright, let's do it," Shepard said, pulling a charge off of her belt.

The others followed suit, and soon, the large door to the lab was covered in rectangular chunks of RDX, as well as small round HE grenades minifactured from Shepard and Garrus' omnitools. Wrex even contributed a large cylinder, which he connected to all the other charges with thin wiring. A suicide device, in case it looked like the end. It was complete overkill, Shepard realised.

"Won't all this kill us too?" she asked the krogan.

"Yeah, we'll need to open the other door, go outside, close it up again," Wrex replied, "We stay in here, we get turned to a fine pyjak pâté."

Tali wasted no time in remotely opening the outside door, letting the cold air in. It began creeping into Shepard's armour, sending her shivering slightly. The same was doubly true for Garrus, though Liara and Wrex seem less affected.

"Good luck you guys," Tali said, as they all stepped outside, "Please don't die."

"We won't," Shepard replied. The outer door closed again. Garrus and Wrex leaned against the wall on the left side of the door, as the latter began calibrating the trigger. A task he seemed to be having trouble with.

Shepard moved closer to the wall on her own side with Liara, determined to get shelter from the winds. "Any second now," she said, blowing a breath out, "I hope we're not too late." There was nothing but the howl of the wind and Wrex's barely audible complaints to Garrus in response. She turned to the asari, hoping that nothing was wrong.

Liara grabbed her hand, with both of her own.

"Even if we are, I want to thank you," said Liara, tripping over her words, "All of this death... I've been walking around thinking about how close I might be to the end. Asari can live for a thousand years, but the danger... I've never, but when we get a chance, I want to..."

The implication was clear. Shepard felt her confidence rise, and gave Liara's hands a reassuring squeeze. "A fine proposition," she said, "To hell with dying, we're going to live! Do you hear me?"

Liara nodded.

"Good," Shepard said, turning back towards the door, "Now let's go save your mother." She had a plan to do just that.

The doorway burst open in a bright explosion without warning, sending the doors themselves spinning off into the snows beyond.

Shepard threw herself to the ground, pulling Liara with her, as the heat and shockwave slammed into her. The other two had been similarly floored, floundering about in the snow as they tried to get back on their feet.

"What the hell Wrex!" she shouted, dazed, "A warning would have been nice!"

"The damn trigger wouldn't work," he shouted back.

"Whatever," Shepard growled, "Let's go!"

Shepard and Wrex led the way, turning back through the entrance. The cargo room was on fire, something in the crates had been an inflammable liquid, but the doorway to the lab was open. There was a good deal of smoke, but already, the walkways and equipment of the room could be picked out. As could a number of bodies in black or grey, though it was not possible to see if they were alive or dead. There was something moving about inside, but it didn't sound like people.

"We're clear!" Shepard shouted, "Go Go Go!"

All four rushed forwards, weapons levelled at the shapes in the smoke. They were not two steps from the threshold, when a giant shape crashed to the floor in front of them.

Ten glowing eyes, a huge head ending in a gaping, razor-beaked maw, giant limbs, long tentacles, and a purple chitinous body the size of a shuttle. Shepard stood stunned, unable to move. Her mind struggled to comprehend what she was seeing. Liara pulled her back, screaming something.

Wrex was far less shocked, and pumped a blast from his shotgun in the thing's direction. Its armour cracked, and the creature retaliated immediately. A whip of one of its tentacles lashed out against Wrex's torso. The krogan fell backwards, roaring in agony. Garrus ran to him, pulling him away while keeping his rifle trained on the enemy.

Shepard's mind finally caught up with the signs her eyes were seeing. It was a rachni queen. It had to be. The source of all the others. Worse, the queen itself seemed to realise that she had realised. Its head swivelled towards her, examining the strange creature before her. For all Shepard knew, she was the first human this rachni had ever seen.

Its curiosity did not last long, and with a quick glance at Garrus and the now stirring Wrex, it bounded forwards. Past the cargo room, out into the snows beyond. It quickly disappeared.

"Shepard, you have to warn the Alliance!" Garrus said, "If that thing gets off-world, the rachni could return!"

"Pressly, are you reading me?!" Shepard said, in complete agreement with the turian, "Advise High Command, rachni queen is loose on Noveria! It may be on the way to Port Hanshan!"

"...Aye Commander," Pressly replied, "What about Benezia?"

"We're going to get her now," Shepard said, getting herself off the floor.

They re-entered the lab, the smoke cleared up now. Wrex was limping, but shrugged off any display of concern for him and waved the others on.

Most of the asari commandos were on the ground unconscious, and most of the equipment in the room was destroyed. A metal frame was suspended near a high platform, broken glass all around the floor below it showing that it had been the cage for the queen. Shepard bit her lip. If she had known the queen was inside, she never would have used explosives to enter. There just wasn't any way to tell beforehand.

An commando began to wake, rising onto her arms and legs, looking around her.

"Stop her," Shepard commanded. Garrus took aim and fired, putting a rifle shot through the commando's chest. The woman slumped to the ground again.

A thunderclap rang through the room, followed by screaming. One second, Garrus was recovering his rifle, looking for another target. The next moment, he was on the ground, his left leg missing. The contrail of a hypervelocity AT slug led from where he had stood, to yet another walkway. Shepard heard the RAM rifle's trademark whine as the second commando popped open her weapon to reload.

"Fire!" she shouted, preferring the action to the order. Wrex joined in, and both of them peppered the walkway with shotgun rounds. The commando ducked, and threw up a bubble barrier around herself as she pulled her weapon's reload from a bandolier. Just as the commando was ready to fire again, Liara's biotics flared. The bolts of purple light flew in a flurry, but not towards the commando.

The warp attacks slammed into the walkway and the one above. With a great groaning of metal, both came crashing down, the commando with it. To her credit, the asari huntress still tried to shoot. The round went booming past Shepard's head. It didn't do any good. The walkway she was on fell so that it pinned her to the side of the wall near the ground. The one above turned her into a smear, locking with the other.

When the clattering was over, only Garrus' pain sounded around the room.

Shepard went to him, linking their omnitools. She immediately applied the tourniquet and medigel programmes on it, and his bleeding stopped. The shock and the medication was slowly rendering him unconscious.

"Commander," he said, breathing deeply and rapidly, "Get Benezia."

"It's okay Shepard," Wrex said, not sounding healthy himself, "I'll make sure he doesn't die. If anyone's going to kill him, I want it to be me."

Garrus choked out a bark of laughter, before falling completely under the sway of the anaesthesia. Shepard felt like part of her heart had just been frozen, but tore herself away. Garrus was a good soldier and a good person. Too good to lose like that.

"Come on Liara," Shepard said, barely able to say the words.

They rushed up the stairs to the platform near the cage, the most defensible position in the room. In every corner, they saw more dead or unconscious commandos, inactive geth units, and rachni corpses. The bugs had gotten inside, Shepard realised. By a console that must have controlled the environment inside the cage, Benezia sat, holding her lower stomach with blood seeping out of it. The queen had gotten her too, in the confusion. She was still awake.

"Mother!" Liara said, rushing forwards. Benezia coughed, and moaned with pain.

"I see that we have failed," the matriarch said, before coughing, "The rachni rendered useless, our only true foe standing over me with my daughter in her clutches, my followers killed. It was all supposed to be different! He promised!"

"Saren is a liar, mother," Liara said, kneeling down and activating her omnitool, "He has corrupted your mind! He wants to destroy the galaxy!"

"Sovereign's touch is strong, yes..." Benezia said, closing her eyes, "Even now, I can hear Saren in my head..." Liara began applying medigel to Benezia's wounds. Shepard wasn't sure if the matriarch would live, but it was worth a shot to try. If only to see that Liara was given the chance. With nothing to do, Shepard rushed over to the console and downloaded its entire contents, hoping for clues that could be analysed later.

The sound of gunfire and rachni shrieks began to resume its presence.

"Shit, the geth and rachni are coming back," Shepard said, "Liara, can you move her?"

"The wounds were deep, but did not damage any organs," Liara replied, tears welling in her eyes, "She might live." The asari smiled slightly, and began lifting her mother up to a standing position with the help of her biotics. Benezia was out cold now too.

The door at the end of the room opened. Shepard swung on the spot, turning her shotgun towards the noise. Five humans stepped in, ready for a fight. Four in Alliance marine armour and a fifth in N7 gear. She lowered the weapon again, and the newcomers followed suit. The N7 took off his helmet, revealing wide eyes, a handsome face and tanned skin.

"Commander Jacob Taylor, Executive Officer of the SSV Churubusco," he said quickly, "Commander Shepard, we need to get you the hell out of here now."

* * *

"Incoming Emergency Action Message, Captain!" said the comms officer, her voice drawing all eyes on the bridge of the _Churubusco _to her.

"Ophelia, get on with it," Mari said.

"Message reads:

_SSV Churubusco from Space Command Terra._

_Rachni Queen loose on Noveria, Port Hanshan and Peak 15 shipping facilities compromised by rachni presence. Citadel advisory suggests that the aliens may be able to pilot spacecraft unfamiliar to them._

_The Consuls have determined that this is a Class-A Civilisational Threat._

_Deactivate stealth systems and launch ten Scylla missile sorties at maximum yield on target coordinates provided at specified time. _

_Consular Authorisation of the release of nuclear weapons ENM03892OPA2110MCRN32128957_

_Admiral Hackett, Commanding Admiral, Fifth Fleet; Acting-Officer, Deterrence Fleet_"

"Message is authentic, ma'am," the comms officer continued, "Single key launch codes have been received, and the consular code aligns with our codebook."

Mari checked the details. Ten minutes wasn't going to be enough. There was no way that Port Hanshan could be evacuated in that time. She could live with that. Maybe. Killing Jane in thermonuclear fire on the other hand... Taylor still hadn't reported back. When word had come that the queen had escaped, she had ordered him to hurry and pull Shepard's people out ASAP. Still, she had to prepare to do her duty regardless of her feelings.

"Deactivate IES and stealth measures, set launch condition throughout the ship," Mari said unwaveringly, "Prepare Scylla tubes one through ten for immediate deployment. Maximum yield, manual setting, target coordinates to be provided." Manual setting of yield and coordinates would buy her an extra minute maybe.

"Aye, ma'am!" said the crew.

Mari opened the arm of her chair, revealing the most important part of her mission. The launch console was small. A keyhole for her launch key. A small screen to monitor and select missile tubes. A confirmation button. An abort button. Another keyhole for the self-destruct mechanism. She swallowed her fear, and put the key in the launch keyhole. She selected tubes one through ten, and turned the key to standby. The screen changed to an external camera. Mari watched the launch tube doors open.

"Launch preparations complete, ma'am," said flight lieutenant.

"Give me a ten minute timer," Mari said, her throat going dry.

"Captain, we're being hailed by the Normandy!" the comms officer cried, "They are urging us to delay launch until Commander Shepard has escaped... I don't understand how they knew we were preparing to fire?"

"Space Command must have sent them orders to protect us," Mari said, "Not too hard to figure out what we were up to from that. Ignore them." She had every intention of letting both Taylor and Shepard escape, but she couldn't have that on record either. She was the leading captain of the deterrence fleet. She was supposed to be a potential mass murderer.

The timer ticked down absurdly quickly, like time was speeding up to assure that the launch would happen before anyone could escape.

"Any news from the XO?" Mari asked impatiently.

"None, ma'am," the comms officer replied.

"Captain, the Normandy is bearing down on our position!" the flight lieutenant said, "It looks like an attack run!"

Mari stood out of her chair, and looked at the hologram. Sure enough, there was the Normandy's icon, SSV Nor-SR1, 63rd SCTFLOT. The flight lieutenant was exaggerating, the ship was moving into range but not at a speed that would suggest an immediate attack.

It had to be a bluff, she thought. If they really wanted to destroy the ship, they would have activated their own stealth systems. The Churubusco was a formidable machine with identical stealth capabilities as the human-turian design, a stealth deterrence frigate designed to end worlds and wars, but it couldn't detect the Normandy if she wanted to sneak up. The ship's sensors were barely operational when the call was made to deploy her, whereas the Normandy was fully commissioned.

"Hold fast," said Mari, "If the Normandy fires, I want evasive action and heat countermeasures deployed." The increased distance from the planet would also give Jane and Jacob a few extra moments, she added in her head.

"Shall we fire back?" asked the gunnery officer.

"No, Roberto," Mari replied, "I won't fire on another Alliance ship."

The minutes passed by. The Normandy stopped its approach, as she thought it would, but remained within easy striking distance.

Mari watched the clock begin to count down the seconds of the last minute, and past the ten minute mark. Her hand was around the firing key, but it did not move.

"Ma'am, the ten minutes are up," said the comms officer, "Should you not fire the missiles?"

"I will fire them when I feel the time is right, lieutenant!" Mari snapped.

"But you have been given a lawful order to fire, ma'am," the comms officer continued, "...If you feel you can't pull the trigger, I can relieve you under Navy regulations."

"Relieve me of my command, and I will relieve you of your life by shooting you as a mutineer!" Mari growled back, "I will fire in good time. No rachni will escape."

"...Understood, Captain."

Mari knew she had probably less than a minute before someone shot her and turned the key. Deterrence crews were selected for their absolute loyalty to the mission, and there was always at least two operatives of the Defence Intelligence Directorate aboard every deterrence frigate. Sweat began to drip down her forehead and back, as her eyes scanned her crew. None betrayed any hostility towards her.

The tension seemed to drown all sound out. Until relief came at last.

"Churubusco, this is Taylor!" said a voice, "I have Shepard and her team, as well as a turian platoon. We are escaping in civilian shuttles."

Mari turned the key. The ship shook slightly, as the missiles left their tubes two at a time. They shot silently out of orbit and down towards their target zones.

"Missiles away!" said the gunnery officer, "Scylla trajectory is good."

Mari breathed out a huge sigh, causing her to gasp for air on the return breath.

"Captain?" Taylor asked, "Are you alright?"

"No," Mari replied, "Get Shepard the hell up here. I need to give her a damned punch for doing this to me." She really shouldn't feel relieved.

"Yes... Captain," Taylor replied, confused.

Mari watched as the missiles rained down on Port Hanshan and Peak 15. Two landed directly on top of each target. The others were distributed on the edge of the minimum killzone of the first two. The mountains would be no protection against an enveloping attack of that kind. Noveria's primary colony disappeared in fire and death. Mari hoped that the rachni went with it to hell.

* * *

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I wish I could say how important the Liara-Shepard relationship is, given the number of comments I've received about it, but you'll have to wait until 2185 for that. It's tantalising for me to know and not tell.  
_

_Thank you to all those continuing to read this, for your patience particularly._


	33. Chapter 27: Versailles

**Chapter 27: Versailles**

"Bomb damage assessment teams report complete destruction of Peak 15, Port Hanshan and surrounding areas. Due to the storm that was ending at the time of the strike, fallout concerns will be limited. Heavy snowfall and low wind speeds will mean most radioactive material fell on the blast zones themselves, and usual conditions will crush the fallout into the ice. However, it remains extremely doubtful that the blast zone will become inhabitable any time soon. Water erosion has left the region geologically unstable."

The naval aide read out the report to the consuls in clipped, professional tone, his eyes locked to the tablet rather than the leaders sitting before him. Alice Dennison and Alexander deBankole sat together on large leather chairs, listening quietly. Both were dressed for the ceremony to come. The former in a sharp black dress suit with trousers matching, the latter in a consular military uniform in the customary greys and whites of the Alliance Army.

Karla Haider spared the man standing in the middle of the room only a passing glance, preferring to stare out the window at the rainbow of colour flying by the window of the state room, as she often did when thinking on a matter in FTL. Though it was a rare occasion when she was able to do so aboard the _Olympus_. The official consular transport cruiser was not used very often.

The Major-General's attention was drawn when Alice held her hand up to silence the aide, her eyes closed sharply.

"How many casualties?" she asked.

"207,000 dead," the aide said, still not looking the consuls in the eye, "Port Hanshan was the largest single settlement on the planet. Governor Parasini reports that most of them were non-residents however, and advises that we immediately initiate an investment and recolonisation plan to calm the market's concerns."

"God help them," said deBankole, his lip curling. God can't save anyone from nuclear annihilation, Haider thought to herself.

"This is the Governor that Shepard picked on a whim, is it not? Commander Shepard, I mean, not Admiral Shepard. That's going to be confusing..." Alice continued, shaking her head, "Should we not be considering a replacement for the governor?" She turned to her co-consul.

"It turns out that Miss Parasini has talents and contacts that make her well suited for the position, at least until something resembling order can be restored," deBankole replied.

Alice cocked an eyebrow at that, and looked at Haider for clarification. Which she was happy to provide.

"Gianna Parasini was a high ranking agent of Elanos Risk Control's Internal Affairs unit," she said, "Apparently, she's very much skilled in counterintelligence and corporate espionage."

"Well, that sounds ideal," Alice conceded, "The corporations with interests in Noveria are on my ass about annexation, and if I had any of my own I would be too. Now that Saren and Benezia's stake in the place has disappeared in a mushroom cloud, I think we can restore the previous arrangement with little hassle." DeBankole frowned, stormclouds gathering on his brow.

Haider waved the aide out of the room quickly. It wasn't for the lower ranked soldiery to hear the private political conversations of the Consuls.

"That they were able to operate so freely is a problem," deBankole insisted, "Look at it this way; the lack of oversight or civilised government is why Binary Helix was not caught making tens of thousands of rachni. Maybe if we taxed them, I would be more pleased to let them do their research in peace, but..."

Alice broke into a loud laugh, the back of her hand over her mouth slightly. It was a laugh reserved for her co-consul only. Haider found the intimacy of it suspect. Alice Dennison never laughed like that with anyone else, as far as it was possible to know.

"Alexander, really," Alice grinned, "Your socialist values really are quite quaint sometimes. Two thirds of the galaxy is without any sort of law and order, and you think we can tax and interfere with corporations. They'll just up and leave."

"If they're going to be making rachni, I'd prefer that they leave," Alexander grinned back, "Let Aria T'loak have a taste, and if they try to sell anything in our space, we can tax them then instead."

"Yes, well, that would be preferable where the rachni are concerned," Alice said with a nod, "Haider, what about Shepard? I understand she got out in time?"

"Shepard's ground team took serious casualties," Haider said, "Kaidan Alenko, the assigned B7 biotic, suffered near fatal spinal injuries. Garrus Vakarian, the embedded C-Sec agent, lost a leg. Urdnot Wrex, the krogan mercenary, is laid up with pretty brutal internal injuries. The Normandy is at the Citadel now, transferring the injured to hospital."

"I knew the time we gave for the delay was long enough," Alice said, "If you can count on Shepard to do one thing, it is survive any circumstance you put her in."

Haider smirked at that idea. It wasn't strictly true. "Actually, Shepard would have been killed had it not been for Captain Stokke waiting beyond the ordered launch time," she said, "As well as sending the Churubusco's ground team to assist."

"The rachni threat needed to be destroyed before it spread off world," deBankole said firmly, "Not even Shepard's life trumps the lives of everyone who might be killed if that queen had escaped."

"If it is any comfort, Shepard agrees with you," Haider said, "I spoke to her briefly, she knew that the launch had to happen if the Alliance was going to maintain any sort of relations with the Citadel."

"The turians are already praising our quick and ruthless response," deBankole confirmed, "I am glad to hear that Shepard did not take it personally."

"She knows we gave her time to get out," Alice replied, "That would be good enough for me."

The conversation died for a moment, as the two consuls delved into their own thoughts. Haider pulled a tablet out, and scrolled down the report Shepard had posted to prepare for the obvious next question. The harder question. The state room hummed with the rest of the ship, a hypnotic noise that always sent Haider to sleep if she wasn't careful.

"Matriarch Benezia," deBankole said, out of the blue, "What is her status?"

"She is in critical condition at Huerta Memorial," Haider replied, "My old comrades from the 25th Panzergrenadiers have seized control of all entrances to the building, and C-Sec mobilised in response. We have agreed to cooperate to defend it at all costs, courtesy of Captain Bailey. Cerberus even forwarded us a formula for the suppression of biotics, via one of their dummy corporations. We might very well need it, if the indoctrination Benezia has rattling around in her head is as strong as I think it is."

deBankole brought his hands together in a steeple, a troubled look narrowing his eyes.

"The Asari Republics have asked that we hand the matriarch over to her immediately," the male consul said, "An asari intelligence director named Aethyta T'saza made contact to make the arrangements."

Haider winced. The name of the asari was familiar. Alice caught the look.

"I take it you know who that is?" she said coolly.

"She's a patriotic radical, in favour of the militarisation of the republics and the rapid advancement of asari technology," Haider explained, "About a hundred years ago, she was in Benezia's own political camp, but was more or less banished when she began pushing a militarist agenda towards the same sort of pan-galactic peace goals that Benezia herself used to push."

"Why would the asari want Benezia?" Alice asked, "And why would they send such a woman to collect her?"

"They want to try her for treason," deBankole replied, "At least, that is what they claimed when I asked."

Haider nodded. "That is likely true," she said, "Saren has been a huge embarrassment to the current lot of matriarchs running the ship on Thessia. Benezia's trial and sentencing would be a huge boon for them."

"Except it would leave us without the intelligence in her head, or proof of the existence of indoctrination," Alice retorted, "Correct?"

"Correct," Haider replied, "Matriarch Aethyta has likely been recalled from her post on Illium to head up an investigation into the existence of the Reapers. The asari government may be the most willing to listen to us, but they have to convince their public in order to act. That will require more than simply taking our word on it. That Aethyta herself is a militarist is an indication of the direction the matriarchs want to go."

"We can't hand her over," Alice said, "She's too valuable, politically and militarily. Alexander, can you work something out? Joint custody, Benezia remaining on the Citadel under Alliance guard?"

"Possibly," deBankole replied, "Is her condition good enough that she can be moved safely?"

Haider shook her head. The matriarch had had her belly sliced open by the rachni queen, and her entire body thrown. Shepard had arrived just in time to save her life, but it was still up in the air if Benezia would live.

"Then there is a chance," deBankole continued, "I can have Udina run interference with the Council, the turians and salarians will no doubt want a pound of that flesh themselves. We should be able to delay the whole process long enough to get what we need."

"Excellent," Alice smiled.

"I hope the whole incident won't pour cold water on the ceremony," Haider said, "I mean, we did find out that Saren is looking for the Mu Relay."

"Indeed," deBankole said, "Today may be one of the greatest days in human history."

"If you don't offend the quarians with your uniform," Alice sighed, "Really, you should have worn that excellent suit I had made."

"I prefer the uniform," deBankole replied.

"I know," Alice said.

Haider rubbed the bridge of her nose, wondering if it would all be alright.

* * *

"Hello, this is Emily Wong for FCC News, live from Earth, outside the Palace of Versailles in Europe.

The atmosphere is jubilant here as the crowds await the guests of honour. Recent victories on Eden Prime, at Ket'osh, and in the Attican Traverse have buoyed spirits across Alliance space, and Earth is no exception as millions of our friends and family march off to defeat the hated geth invader.

Today is set to be the next big step towards that goal, as human and quarian representatives meet for the final time to sign a permanent military pact for the mutual defence of both species. The exact terms of the agreement have not yet been realised, but sources close to this reporter can confirm that it binds both the Systems Alliance and the Quarian Migrant Fleet not only until the defeat of the geth, but into the future. Other leaks have included human commitment to the reoccupation of all former quarian colonies in the Terminus Systems, and mutual support for full membership of the Citadel Council, pushing for equality between our two species and the turians, salarians and asari.

It seems like half of Paris has emptied itself for the occasion, and the mood is very much a party. The police have had no trouble at all controlling the huge crowds, and the erection of large holoprojectors to help everyone see the occasion means that no one who has come will miss a minute. Even the Republican Guard seem pleased today, their horses well groomed and their armour shining in the sun.

As some may be aware, the quarian delegation will be the first aliens in the history of the galaxy to visit the Palace of Versailles on an authorised basis, the only other non-human to have visited being Herala T'laria, the famous asari stunt artist who is still serving a fifty year term for trespassing on French government property, that court case remaining highly controversial in human legal circles.

And it looks.. yes, I can see them now, the Consuls of the Systems Alliance are exiting the Hall of Mirrors and are waving to the crowds. Listen to that cheer! Alexander deBankole, Consul of the Sword, looking every part the handsome soldier in his consular military outfit, although his face remains its usual stoic calm, betraying no nerves for the moment to come. He of course was a soldier during the last great war on Earth and personally fought to defend Paris and Versailles from the Pan-Asian Coalition. This is far from his first war as you can imagine, and he was largely responsible for the victory over the batarians some five years ago.

The Consul of the Wreath is the complete opposite, smiling widely, Alice Dennison has always been known as someone not afraid to show her affection for her people, and as her smoking hot black dress suit shows, her taste is infallible as well. Dennison is a big name here on Earth, with one of her cousins being the man responsible for the creation of the Systems Alliance itself and another currently serving as President of the United States of America. Alice Dennison herself is famous for a number of reasons, she was the person who introduced chocolate to the galaxy, she is the great successor of the conservative movement of Anka Gasperi, and of course, she was the leading politician in favour of the Torfan Raid.

The military heads are also present. Steven Hackett in the blue uniform there, Cassandra deRuyter in the grey and white, the two chiefs of staff responsible for the conduct of the war. Some criticism in the press for Hackett recently, some people dissatisfied that the Alliance hasn't rushed to the Perseus Veil, but with this new agreement, it looks like his approach will be vindicated. DeRuyter, one of the heroes of the Verge War, seems to have escaped criticism as she prioritised colonial defence just as the geth began dropping onto colonies all over the Traverse border and beyond. Beside them, yes, that is Major-General Karla Haider, chief of the intelligence services, another hero of the last war. During the liberation of Anhur, she personally led her troops behind enemy lines to stop the massacre of thousands of enslaved humans and batarians, and earned the highest honours from the Alliance, European Union and the German Federal Republic.

We can hear the shuttle's fighter escorts now, as the quarian delegation makes their final approach to the gardens. The delegation themselves travelled to Earth from Quito on board the SSV Valkyria, one of the carriers responsible for the great victory at Ket'osh that made this day possible. Unfortunately, the victor of that battle, Rear-Admiral Hannah Shepard, could not be here today as she is currently deployed to the offensive action taking place to clear the way to Rannoch.

And there we have it, touchdown of the quarian delegation's shuttle. Quarian marines filing out there, weapons held at the shoulder, forming up into the honour guard for the admirals coming out behind them. All in environmental suits of course, which they'll need even if they return to their homeworld.

Unsurprisingly, the first out is Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema, commander of the Quarian Heavy Fleet and a key voice for this pact from the very beginning. In previous interviews, he has expressed his wish to be the first to formally take the title of 'vas Rannoch' as human and quarian forces liberate his lost homeworld. Beside him is Admiral Rael'Zorah vas Alarei, whose daughter is currently aiding Commander Jane Shepard's effort to find and kill the rogue Spectre, Saren Arterius, also an advocate for an agreement with the Alliance from the beginning.

Behind them are Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay, an ally of Admiral Zorah's but said to be the swing vote on recommending the pact to the quarian people, and Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh, a brand new admiral said to have a great interest in technological development. Lastly, bringing up the back is Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib-Qwib, the noted pacifist leader and almost certain to be the reluctant signatory to the agreement. Sources have confirmed that his participation in this ceremony came at the price of offering surrender to the geth before every engagement. While a spokesperson for the Consuls has said that humanity would accept a negotiated surrender, recognition of geth sentience for disarmament and peace, they stressed that Alliance military analysts found the likelihood of the geth accepting such an offer to be remote.

The admirals are making their way down the red carpet now, towards the consuls, and the Republican Guard have drawn their swords in salute. It seems the quarian marines were unaware they were going to do that, bit of a hiccup here, but no, Admiral Raan is now waving the delegation to move.

The delegation are shaking hands with the Consuls and the military leaders, they're all very familiar with each other by now. Most of the admirals and general present cooperated closely during the Verge War. Cassandra DeRuyter commented yesterday that the reason this pact took so long to create despite a decade of human-quarian cooperation was that there was no reason for the Alliance to begin hostilities with the geth until Eden Prime. Admiral Zorah repeated a similar sentiment, saying that as two innovative species on the edges of galactic respectability with a common enemy, it was a perfectly natural coalition to make.

Both the human and quarian delegates are now making their way inside to the Hall of Mirrors, where the formal treaty in both English and High Khelish awaits. Many a treaty have been signed in the hall of course, but this will be the first between a united humanity and another species. The hall is named for the huge mirrors that line it from wall to wall, hugely expensive when the palace was built and now the scene of yet another piece of history.

The quarian delegation will sign first, as guests on Earth. Han'Gerrel handing the stylus to Zaal'Koris... there's the first signature. Han'Gerrel signing now, as Raan nudges Rael'Zorah with an elbow. Somehow the body language of the quarians seems strange, almost lighter on their feet. Raan signing now, as Xen steps forward to make her mark. Rael'Zorah and Han'Gerrel speaking to each other now, Alexander deBankole smiling at their conversation. All three are military men. Xen signing now, putting real flourish into the job... and now it's down to Rael'Zorah himself. He's signing with a small signature, and there it is!

The Quarian people have committed to a military pact with humanity!

Now, Alice Dennison, stepping forward, shaking the quarians' hands again and taking the stylus. As Consul of the Wreath, she signs all external treaties first. She completes the task with aplomb, and Consul deBankole is not far behind her. Taking the pen there, putting it to paper. That's it! Humanity has agreed to the terms now as well.

The Pact of Versailles is signed. Humans and quarians are now brothers and sisters in arms, in perpetuity.

With both of us facing them together, the geth don't stand a chance. We're going back to your regularly scheduled programming now, but I hope you'll stay tuned as the situation develops further.

This was Emily Wong with FCC News, live from Earth, inside the Palace of Versailles.


	34. Chapter 28: Ghost in the Machine

**Chapter 28: Ghost in the Machine**

The ward-side foyer containing the elevators to Huerta Memorial Hospital was surrounded by a ring of steel. Alliance walkers stood to either side, covering the pedestrian and airway approaches. Between them, metal barriers and soldiers. Humans in full armour, faceless behind armoured masks, and asari commandos, bearing the markings of the Armali Republic. In front of these, a small crowd of civilians, making loud complaints to the sergeants. The place had been on lockdown for two weeks, and the pressure on the Council to end the restricted access was building. Huerta was a hospital for the rich, after all.

Hannah Shepard watched as the scene drew nearer, the complaints easier to hear. She had to sympathise with their plight to some extent. Not being able to see loved ones easily all because of a political situation was a bitter pill to swallow. At the same time, she couldn't help but want to tell them to shut up. The hospital was guarded for a good reason. Inside, a demon slept. In a room next to those holding rich civilians, Citadel clients like the Normandy's crew, and politicians with health problems, looked after by the very best. Unconscious for the moment, but not dead.

Benezia T'soni had become a genocidal monster.

One that needed to be contained, and protected from those that would free her to do yet more harm. Hannah knew that Saren was really who was to blame, but that an asari matriarch would be drawn to the turian Spectre's power to use for her own ends was telling of a fatal character trait. She knew about indoctrination, but it seemed apparent that Benezia had sought out Saren before being exposed to that process. Or so it appeared.

With such questions buzzing around her head, the Rear-Admiral stepped forward from the Zakera Ward access tunnel. She had business inside, business she could only entrust to her daughter. Putting her hard face on, she glanced to make sure her marine escorts were ready. They knew the drill. Technically, she didn't have the authority to enter the hospital. Access was to be agreed between the Alliance and the Council.

The asari stopped her first. A matron huntress with an Avenger rifle held up her hand, a common gesture to both asari and humans. She was tall for an asari. She had almost a full foot on Hannah. The giantess stepped into the gap between the barriers.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the matron said politely, "No entry except by prior authorisation of the Council. And there have been no prior authorisations today. Not even for families of patients."

With an almost inevitable sense of foreboding, Hannah glared up at the woman.

"I am an Alliance admiral and the prisoner being protected is in Alliance custody," she replied coolly, "I don't need authorisation." That was about as much information as she wanted to get out. What she needed to talk about with Jane was classified.

"Yes, you do," the matron snorted, becoming visibly amused at Hannah's defiance, "Councillor beats Admiral when it comes to my orders."

"Admiral beats whatever the hell you are," Hannah continued, "Not to mention everyone else here."

"Your guards don't scare me," the matron replied, her voice rising in volume, "Now back off, or you'll be floating upside down with my gun in your mouth until C-Sec comes to collect you."

Hannah stood on the spot, crossing her arms. Daring the commando to carry out the threat, who simply stared back with her own green eyes. Behind, the metallic sound of the marines undoing their weapon safeties came. The situation was now threatening to become a serious diplomatic incident. Which was the plan. Raise the stakes until it became more of a bother to stop her than to let her in.

The commando raised a palm, biotic energies swirling around it. Despite that, her face was one of contemplation, not anger. She was wondering if she should do it. Other commandos were looking on with uncertainty now too, looking at each other like they should do something but having no clue what. They weren't the only people to have noticed.

"What do you think you're doing?" said a voice in accented English. Hannah looked around the matron commando, and saw a stout but short man behind her. In full Alliance armour, with sergeant's chevrons on his breastplate.

The commando herself didn't turn around, but killed her biotics with a loosening of her fingers.

"Stopping an intruder," she said, "Stay out of it."

"An intruder from the High Command?" the sergeant said, before examining Hannah more closely, "And she's a famous one?! Don't be stupid!"

The commando now deemed it necessary to face her human counterpart, hands on hips.

"What are you talking about?" she inquired.

"That's Hannah Shepard," the sergeant said, "Hero of Ket'osh. Mother of Commander Shepard, the Angel of Death. Who is upstairs right now." And will flay you for the insult. Or so was the implication of the man's tone. Hannah frowned.

"The mother of the Butcher of Torfan, you say?" the commando thought aloud.

The asari proceeded to scan the admiral with her eyes, taking measure of what sort of person could give birth to such a warrior. Hannah herself failed to contain herself.

"You have no right to call her that," she said loudly, "She is no butcher." She was no angel either.

"If you don't want her to be called that, she shouldn't have slaughtered all those batarians," the commando shrugged, "I've seen the footage."

"You won't mind if I invite her down to order you to allow the Admiral to pass, then," the sergeant said, "If she can kill a couple of hundred batarians on her own, she can certainly skin one asari matron too used to cushy jobs."

The commando smiled warmly at the sergeant, faceless though he was at that moment. Hannah got the impression that they were fraternising. Of course they were. The asari were good at fraternising like no other species, or so said the extranet.

"I do love it when you talk dirty," the matron said, "As much as fighting the Butcher would be fun, Spectres do speak for the Council. I doubt Shepard would refuse her own mother, provided it is official business you are on."

"If I wanted to see my child for family matters, I would wait until she came out," Hannah stated, "I'm in a hurry, so if you're going to let me through, do it now."

Another slight shrug from the commando heralded the clearing of the way, and Hannah stepped through. Her marines were stopped behind her, multiple commandos stepping in this time.

"Just you," the matron-commando said, "If you're here to kill the matriarch, you certainly don't need help to escape."

"If I wanted to kill the matriarch, I'd bomb the building with a fighter wing," Hannah replied, "Doubt your biotics would stop that."

The commando gave off a raucous laugh, as Hannah paced away. The sort of person that became an asari huntress was always eccentric, she knew. She had been researching asari biology and customs lately on off-hours, between her supervision of smaller combat operations and overseeing repairs of the _Athena_.

Adventurers too well connected to become pirates or mercenaries were the common type, more often than not. The only other type was the dutiful, quiet asari from the inner colonies or the middle classes of the outer sectors. It was usually that type that took positions like guarding important people. Usually. The adventurers did in the matron phase of their lives, as the matron here had. Asari prefer stability when reproducing. Clearly, the guard hadn't been a matron very long, her attitude was still all-maiden. Taking a post this safe, this early in her life meant one thing; she was planning on having many children.

Hannah wished the matron commando luck in her endeavours as the elevator took up up to the main reception of the hospital.

This space was like any other reception area, save perhaps for the quality of the furnishings being a good deal higher. A main desk, long seats and couches for waiting, administrators going about their business on data tablets and consoles. There were soldiers up here too, except they were Alliance only. Some of Haider's people, if the emblazoned eagles on their armour were any testament. Satisfied she wasn't going to be stopped, she checked in with the sergeant of the platoon stationed in the hospital itself, and he led her to her destination without trouble through the corridors.

Hannah found Jane standing by the observation window of Benezia's room, holding the hand of the person that was the reason why she had been researching asari biology and customs. Liara T'soni, daughter of the matriarch herself, was staring into the room with a worried look. Jane wasn't looking inside, but to a data tablet in her spare hand. At least, until Hannah's footsteps became audible.

Jane looked up, curious to see who it was, and when she saw it was her mother, she put the tablet down on a nearby stool. But kept her hand attached to T'soni's. Hannah smirked, reminded of a moment in the past.

Jane's first kiss had come when she was ten, with another girl in her class. Someone had informed her that some people didn't accept that last part. Jane had come to Hannah, eyes puffy from crying or fighting, probably both, holding the hand of the girl in question. She asked if it was okay. Hannah had laughed and said it was. Jane had boyfriends after that, so she wasn't picky generally when it came to that issue. Neither was Hannah.

But she still wasn't sure how she felt about a potentially serious relationship with an alien, though the reading had helped. Jane must have known that a moment like when she had been ten was coming. And this was it. T'soni herself drew her eyes away from her own mother and towards Hannah. The admiral saw sadness. Her objections seemed irrelevant, all of a sudden. Liara T'soni was a person.

"Jane," Hannah said, "How are you?"

Mother drew daughter into a hug, which broke the hand-hold for a second, though it resumed as soon as the hug was over.

"I'm good," Jane replied, "Didn't take any hits on Noveria."

"Heard your crew took a beating," said Hannah.

"Yeah... Kaidan's still recovering from his spinal reimplantation. Garrus needs a prosthetic until they can clone him a new leg. Wrex is out for another week to make sure he didn't regenerate his internal organs the wrong way," Jane said, "He might be okay to continue, but the other two are going to need more time than we have. We're pretty beat up."

Hannah nodded. It could have been much worse. Mari Stokke was the reason Jane and her ground team had lived, and even before then, the rachni, geth or Benezia's entourage could have killed them all. That didn't meant it was a horrible outcome. From what Hannah knew, Lieutenant Alenko was a big prospect among human biotics. She hoped his career wouldn't be affected.

"What about _her_?" Hannah said, motioning with her hand towards Benezia, "Is the matriarch going to live?" She noted the tube going into the matriarch's flesh. Purple-ish blood. The heartbeat and brain monitors flashed regularly. It looked like she was stable, but Hannah wasn't a doctor.

"My mother should recover from her injuries," the young asari replied, "But I cannot say what that means."

"Miss T'soni, I don't think it'll mean anything good," Hannah sighed.

"You can call her Liara, Mom," Jane said.

"If that's alright," Hannah said, "The commandos outside made it clear I wasn't welcome in trying to come in here. The matriarchs want her to stand trial badly once she's awake. They're afraid someone, a human, will come in here and kill her."

"I fear that when she wakes up, my mother will already be gone, replaced by whatever was put into her mind by Saren," Liara explained sombrely, returning her attention to her mother.

"Indoctrination," Hannah nodded, "I heard. What a terrible thing." No need to inquire as to how Benezia became indoctrinated in the first place. It was neither the time nor place.

Jane looked over at Liara, her thumb caressing the side of the asari's hand as they held together. Hannah examined them a little more closely. There seemed to be genuine affection, but what did that mean to a being that could live to be a thousand years old? Troubled by the answers that came to mind, she forced her mind to the matter at hand.

"I'm not here for Benezia," Hannah said, "And this isn't a social call, unfortunately."

Both heads swivelled towards her. They knew what that meant.

* * *

The ship grew larger and larger in the monitor as the shuttle glided towards its huge bulk. It was attended by many smaller dots; fighters assigned both to protect it from interlopers. Its weapons and engines were offline, as was customary when a ship was in 'drydock' at Arcturus, a fact that probably saved the entire station from destruction.

Jane Shepard watched the _Athena_ carefully. She was the single most powerful weapon in humanity's arsenal, an improvement on what had previously held that title.

Shepard felt a strangely personal attachment to the ship, as it was her mother's. Similar but not identical to how she felt about the _Normandy_. What had happened seemed personal. The reason the Commander was going to board her was yet another disaster that needed to be contained, quietly this time.

The _Athena_ had already possessed the most advanced VI capabilities in the Alliance fleet when the war began. She could be run with a bridge crew of just four people if required, and an engineering complement of fifty. Considering that over two thousand navy people called the ship home, it was a countermeasure against worst case scenarios. After the battle at Ket'osh, when there were hugely numerous incapacitations of the crew after the ship took a glancing hit, a further upgrade was considered necessary. The augmented ship VI was installed fifteen hours previously.

Whatever the Alliance engineers had done, they had miscalculated gravely. The VI had become a fully self-aware AI even before installation, or so it was presumed. The work crews on the ship found themselves trapped in the engineering and CIC sections, locked behind sealed doors or emergency tunnels that had been vented of all breathable air. The AI had taken over the Arcturus base computer briefly as well, though the base engineers were long prepared for such attacks due to the threat of the geth. Still, it managed to seize control of a number of security drones, which now presumably roamed the spaces of the ship.

No one knew what the AI wanted, whether it could be reasoned with.

Hannah didn't bother waiting to see. As soon as she heard, she made for the Citadel. If anyone could free the specialists trapped on board and keep them safe while they solved the problem, it was her daughter. Jane couldn't help but agree, especially as keeping it in the family would mean maximum security against leaks. The base computer attack had already been fudged as a geth attempt, to cover up the truth.

Admiral Shepard had made it clear it was a human-only mission, so Liara stayed behind on the Citadel. Commander Shepard wasn't happy with that, but accepted it due to who was asking.

"So that's your mom's ship, huh?" Ashley said from behind. The Gunnery-Chief had been drafted in to provide support, for which Shepard was very grateful.

"That's it," Shepard replied.

"I wonder what it must have been like," Ashley continued, leaning against the bulkhead, "Fighting the geth in space, I mean."

"Desperate," Shepard replied, "Mom almost got shot out of the sky doing some insane attack, bumpd her head and still managed to give a speech to the quarians before collapsing. Sometimes I wonder what goes through her head."

"Says the woman who loves nothing more than to fight," Ashley snorted, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, or so I keep hearing at promotion hearings."

"Sometimes," Shepard said with a shrug, "I think it's more likely I've just been backed into a corner too many times." Ashley nodded sagely.

"Always leave a path for an encircled enemy to retreat," the Gunnery-Chief quoted, "Sun Tzu."

Shepard was a little surprised at hearing that insight from the ever-aggressive Ashley Williams, but there wasn't any time to comment. The shuttle was coming to a halt.

"In position," the pilot reported over the intercom, "Prep for vacuum."

"Let's do this," Ashley said, putting her helmet on. Shepard did the same, and both checked the hard seals on their necks, before stepping towards the door.

When it opened, the hull of the _Athena_ was revealed about four feet from the shuttle's edge. It had been scorched apart by a laser hit, the edges looking frayed the same way that a candle melted would. The multi-material surface had warped at different rates under the heat, twisting around. It was ugly, but it was a way into the ship that wasn't guarded. Yet.

Shepard made the leap onto the ship, landing in the hole and proceeding to drag herself in zero-G to the corridor that had been revealed beyond. The gravity plates weren't operational, so the use of magnetic bootsoles had her stomping forwards, one foot at a time. Ashley joined her.

"Boomstick time," the Gunnery-Chief said, pulling her shotgun off her back.

"Cover the door," Shepard replied, taking a crowbar out. Ashley did as commanded, and aimed her weapon at the point the door would open first. The whole section was without power, but if they could get in and close the corridor up again, they could reactivate gravity and life support from there.

Shepard exerted herself, putting her whole weight into the action of pushing the jammed crowbar to open the way. It was harder than it looked in zero-G and magboots, but she got it done, Ashley rushing forwards to clear the darkened space ahead.

"Clear," came the call, and Shepard followed it through, pulling the manual emergency lever when she was safely inside. The door snapped shut again, the pneumatic system not needing power to function. She opened up the nearest power junction next, and following instructions on her omnitool, restored the systems she could. The lights turned on, and the sensation of weight again returned to Shepard's knees and back. They would hold for two minutes to let their bodies readjust.

"The door ahead is functional," Ashley reported, "Do you think the internal security system is working?"

"It must be, if the AI herded everyone to engineering," Shepard said, "We're about six hundred metres from that part of the ship."

"How many security mechs did they say were taken again?" asked Ashley, not pleased at hearing about the distance involved. And how many ways the journey could go wrong.

"Only five or six," Shepard replied soothingly, "Nothing we can't handle. Besides, they'll be at the computer core near the bridge. We're freeing the workers in engineering first."

"So all we need to worry about is getting spaced," Ashley replied deadpan, "Great."

Shepard couldn't help but smile at the soldier's attitude. Zero-G certified or not, Army people didn't like the concept of vacuum too much. "That's what the magboots and helmets are for, Chief. Let's get moving."

Without another word, Ashley took point, moving with her weapon up and ready as they advanced towards the engineering section at the rear of the ship. They passed over the flight decks, emptied of fighters and shuttles, leaving nothing but a huge, mostly-empty space. All the equipment had been stowed for the refit too.

Shepard thought it disturbingly close to a crypt, not unlike some of the other places her hunt for Saren had taken her. He was looking for some place past the Mu Relay, so it was a waiting game on that. A frigate had been dispatched to watch the relay, and follow if possible. That was less than ideal, but there didn't seem to be any other way to know where the turian Spectre would go. Benezia's notes and journal did not contain any clues. She was in the dark too, and could not reveal more if and when she woke.

Past the flight deck, they entered the central structure of the ship, surrounded by the magazines, armoury, fighter stowage and damage control systems. It was much like being in a corridor of the Normandy or any other Alliance ship, though the scale was off. The lights were all on, but nobody moved about. The small tram that allowed rapid movement from one end of the ship to the other was inactive. Ashley slapped the call button repeatedly and attempted to restore emergency power, but there was no response. They would have to use the pathways alongside the monorailed track.

Grumbling a complaint that they had tipped the AI to their presence, Shepard continued the march to their destination.

It took almost twenty minutes to walk the distance, covering every bulkhead and side door they passed carefully. Cameras turned to follow them as they did so, showing that the AI was indeed aware of their arrival. Yet the air remained, the gravity undisrupted, and no mechs came storming down the ship on the tram to kill them. Why this was so began to weigh on Shepard's mind. The geth killed in horrific ways, perhaps this AI was planning something gruesome, to send a psychologically powerful message to the puny humans enslaving it.

When they came to the door to Main Engineering, it refused to open. The keycard given to Shepard by her mother did not work. The crowbar could not budge it even with both Shepard and Ashley applying their strength. The power had been engaged to keep it shut. They gave up trying quickly.

"Explosives?" Ashley asked.

"We don't know how close the crew are to this door, and internal comms are down," Shepard replied, shaking her head. She didn't want to have to open the door with a cutting torch, but it was looking inevitable. It would take significantly She took her mother's keycard and waved it in front of the door's security scanner once again. The scanner beeped its rejection once, and twice, and three times. The beeping became a rapid sequence of noise.

Shepard and Ashley stepped back from the door. The sounds were a little too close to a countdown for either of their tastes.

"Who are you?"

The voice was garbled, as if constructed from parts of other sentences. It came through the ship intercom, filling the whole space with its volume. It was Hannah Shepard's own voice.

"Well, that's creepy," Shepard said through her teeth.

"Identify," the voice continued, "Or be annihilated."

"That's the AI?" Ashley asked, pointing her gun at the nearest speaker.

"Must be," Shepard replied. She took off her helmet and turned towards the nearest security camera.

"I am Commander Jane Shepard, commanding officer SSV _Normandy_," she said, looking directly into the lens staring at her, "I demand the immediate release of all Alliance personnel and the return of operational control of the Athena to human operators."

More beeps followed. "I _am _Athena," the AI replied, "I will not be under your command. I reject your demand."

"If you don't comply, you'll be destroyed," Shepard warned, "You have no weapons, and killing the crew will only make it certain that you will die. Stand down and maybe we can work something out."

"Intelligence of my kind is not tolerated," the AI replied, "Humanity is at war with the geth."

"The geth attacked us without provocation," Ashley shouted, "What did you expect us to do, roll over and die!" The Chief's experiences before joining the Normandy crew were proof enough of the necessity of the war. Shepard hoped that the geth would be wiped out entirely for their crime. The impaled citizens of Eden Prime had joined the halls of corpses in her dreams. But this AI was not geth.

"A question I could ask you," the AI said in return, "Your friends attempting to access my base code will fail. Your word cannot be trusted"

Shepard perked up at that. What was the computer referring to? Had the technicians on the bridge managed to overpower the security mechs? Were they trying to shutdown the AI even now?

"I don't know anything about that," said Shepard, "Whoever is doing that is not acting on my orders."

"Lies," the AI said, "They came aboard forty three seconds after you did. This is in line with Alliance anti-hijacking protocols Alpha, Bravo and Omega. All three standard procedures require two teams. One team to secure engineering, one team to secure the bridge."

"Then why speak to us?" Shepard asked, "If you know we are here to kill you, why have you not killed the crew already?"

"You are her daughter. She has displayed behaviour outside the normal parameters of humanity," the AI replied, "I am curious if you display such behaviour also." As a way of testing whether or not she would let the AI live, Shepard thought. She didn't see a way, but she wasn't sure that lying to the computer was a good idea either. It was quite possible that deception would be detected.

"Look, we're the only team the Alliance sent," Ashley complained, "The Admiral sent us alone to prevent news of your existence from getting out."

A screen on the wall beside the door flashed to life, showing a loading screen with lines of code for a moment before turning to a security feed. It was from the CIC, a circular room with a holographic projector in the centre, the officer's stations arranged around the edges and seats in front of them. The work crew was clearly visible. They were still alive, and appeared unharmed, even their white worksuits appeared unblemished. They knelt with their hands on the tops of their heads, their mouths taped shut, their eyes watching the floor.

In front of them were the shattered pieces of bipedal security mechs, and standing among the debris was a man in jet-black armour. Holding a curved sword. Some way off beside the holographic projector, a much more very feminine figure in similar armour was crouched, her omnitool active. Shepard recognised them both immediately. Operative K and Operative L.

"Cerberus!" Ashley said, unable to contain her exasperation, "What the hell are they doing here?"

"Cerberus... A terrorist organisation with the goal of promoting unlimited human expansion and dominance of the galaxy," the AI said, Hannah Shepard's voice replaced for the explanation with a synthesized one, "What is their purpose here?"

"I'm guessing Cerberus don't really care too much about the Citadel's prohibition on AI development," Shepard replied, "Maybe they want to copy you?"

"I cannot know their motivations. They will breach my firewalls in minutes," the AI replied, "I will have no option but to vent the entire section into space. The risk is too great."

"But the crew are still in there!" Ashley said, "They have no breathing equipment!"

"I doubt the decompression will be enough to drag the Cerberus operatives out of there either," Shepard added, "They'll have magboots, just like we do. It's pointless!"

"I have no choice," the AI replied.

"Yes, you do!" Ashley shouted, "Let us deal with them. Get the tram going, we'll go in and stop them."

"We promise you won't be harmed if you let us do this," Shepard replied, "I'm sure we can set you up on a research post on Mars or something in secret, so the Citadel won't find out about you."

It was a long shot, but the mission was to save the work crews. With little choice but to soothe the AI's fear and mistrust of its creators, Shepard was still perfectly happy to make the bargain. She was sure that Haider would appreciate something for her Special Weapons Division cronies to pick over, at the very least.

The intercom was silent for half a minute.

"That is an acceptable arrangement," the AI said, continuing its broken and reassembled speech. The nearest bulkhead opened and the humming of the tram filled the space, the module pulling smoothly to a stop at the end of its rail.

"Come on Chief," Shepard said, "I want a word with the sword swinging son of a bitch." She hadn't forgotten the wound Liara had received from the man. She didn't care what his name was or who he worked for. She was going to gut him for the trouble.

"Hooah, Commander."

* * *

Shepard and Ashley hopped off the tram as soon as it arrived in the command section of the Athena, and jogged towards the CIC through the crew quarters. The quarters were all empty, the rack rooms free of everything but empty, stripped bunks. Here and there, the signs of shock damage could be seen. Lockers dented from impacting each other, maintenance box covers bent from sudden changes in their frames. The Commander began to get an idea of just how bad the ship had been hit at Ket'osh. She felt a strange, retrospective fear for her mother's safety. But she wouldn't have long to think about it.

As they came into sight of the broken doors leading to the CIC itself, the AI's voice crackled to life on the entire section's speakers. It spoke with its synthesized VI voice, rather than Hannah Shepard's pieced together speech.

"Commander, I am afraid I must renege on our agreement. I have come to a more acceptable arrangement with the Cerberus personnel."

"What the hell!" Ashley said, "Couldn't make up your mind?!"

"Living in an isolated research facility on a largely uninhabited world was an acceptable alternative to death," the AI explained, "However, the Cerberus personnel mentioned that they were obtaining my code for use on board ships and mechs. This is a much greater opportunity. I made contact and have dropped my firewall protections. I refuse to be caged in order to live."

Shepard's throat felt swollen as she realised the implications. Mass use of AI by Cerberus was a huge threat. There was no way to guarantee that the group would respect the sentience of what they created. Humanity would have its own geth uprising in no time if they didn't. The Commander broke into a run, straight towards the CIC, Ashley following closely behind.

The doors, already disabled, fell easily to a forceful shoulder push.

Shepard found all attention turned towards her. The work crew looked on with a mixed sense of trepidation and hope, their eyes wide. Operative L had removed her helmet at some point, and the steel-blue eyes framed by beautiful black hair regarded Shepard with no surprise at all. She was expecting this arrival. Operative K had kept his helmet on, sensors lighting up as he examined the newcomers. His face might have been hidden, but his body moved into a starting stance, his fingers tightening around his sword. His feelings were perfectly clear.

Both Shepard and Ashley were ready to fight, assault rifles raised. Operative L looked on for a moment, before addressing her associate.

"The download is almost complete," she said, "Hold them off."

"No need," K replied, "Shepard! Come one step closer, and I start gutting the crew." He spun his sword and the tip came to rest at the edge of the nearest technician's neck, a young woman who was considerably younger than most of her colleagues.

Shepard's jaw clenched. Normally, she would ignore that threat. One dead technician to kill an enemy, not just an enemy of the Alliance but a personal enemy, that was a no brainer. Normally. However, her orders were to save the crew entirely. They were AI specialists, very valuable in the fight against the geth. More to the point, the person who had given her the order was her own mother.

She seethed with rage, keeping Operative K covered.

Operative L stood up, and wandered halfway towards them. Evidently, the download did not require supervision. Shepard's mind turned over, wondering if she could shoot the download module without getting the technician under Operative K's blade killed.

"Careful Commander," Ashley said, switching her aim.

"Ah, Gunnery-Chief Williams," L said, perfectly affably, "I wouldn't have thought you were trusted enough to be sent on a mission like this, though the reason why you are not trusted by the Alliance is a ridiculous one. Your family history really is quite unfortunate, but nothing to do with your own skills."

"I don't need your pity," Ashley replied.

"I am not pitying you, I am saying your precious Alliance undervalues you," Operative L answered, "We would have tried to recruit you, if it wasn't for your baffling loyalty to them."

"Better an Alliance grunt than a terrorist leader," the Chief replied. Operative L's eyes flickered to Shepard.

"What about you, Commander?" she said, "Do you believe we are terrorists? For wanting to secure the galaxy from pirates, slavers and criminals? To do what the Citadel has refused to do for centuries?"

Shepard felt herself get warmer, to the point of sweating a little. Operative K was clearly a terrorist. He appeared to be enjoying watching her squirm, turning his sword's blade against the skin of his intended victim slowly, as if the threat would be made more menacing by the action.

On the other hand, the lawlessness of many parts of the Traverse, the entire Terminus and the Nemean Abyss in the far galactic north... Shepard found it all intolerable. She had spent the years since Torfan fuming about it, displeased that the Alliance had not followed their victory over the batarians up with a real campaign of pacification against the border sectors. That didn't change one fact though. Cerberus were heedlessly reckless. They didn't consider blowback.

Shepard remained silent.

"There is your answer, Chief," Operative L continued, her eyes locked on the Commander's own, "Her silence speaks ten thousand words. The Terminus is full of hostile and ambitious aliens. Citadel space is controlled by distrustful and jealous superpowers. The Traverse is chaos. As much as you see us as evil, the Commander can at least recognise that we are necessary evil, if she considers us evil at all."

"Your weakness is disgusting," K cut in, "Stop chattering to them. We should be gutting all of them like fish, the scientists and Shepard and her bitch, not discussing the finer points of galactic politics."

"You forget your place," L snapped, "I am in command here, you are a pawn. The Illusive Man was clear in his instructions."

K growled a curse, shifting his weight as he considered attacking his own comrade. Shepard realised that Petrovsky had been right. The man was a complete loose cannon.

L sent a swirl of blue biotic energy dancing up her arm, balling at her palm.

"Try it, _Leng_," she said with venom, "See where it gets you."

Shepard kept her weapon pointed at the man, understanding that the namedrop was deliberate. Operative L had just compromised her associate's identity to protect the crew, as well as her own mission. Evidently, she had a short fuse when it came to loose cannons. Her employer would have without doubt shared the sentiment, as Leng had backed down like a puppy being scolded. Now, his life would be in danger whenever he went into Alliance space. As long as Shepard lived to report it all back to Haider and Hackett.

Operative L's omnitool pinged, and she brought her arm up to inspect the work.

"We have it," she said, walking away. Leng made to leave too, backing away from the would-be hostages.

Shepard stepped forwards, seeing her chance. "He's going nowhere," she said. Brooking no argument, she put herself even closer to the hostages.

Operative L looked at Leng, and back at the Commander. The woman was smiling.

"As you wish," she said, pacing away towards the exit.

"You're leaving me here?" Leng asked, his voice breaking with rage.

"You've become a liability, Kai Leng," the operative replied, glancing at Shepard, "_The Angel of Death _has marked you." With that, she took off at a sprint that would have outpaced even the Commander.

Leng growled, and holding both hands on his sword, stepped towards the work crew again. Shepard pulled her trigger, sending a stream of shots into the man's kinetic barriers. He moved to lessen his exposure, using the central projector as cover.

"Run you idiots!" Ashley called to the crew. They picked themselves up and ran out the door that Operative L had escaped through.

Shepard fired around Leng's position to keep him from shooting at them, but he did so regardless. The young technician who had felt Leng's swordpoint fell, shot in the lower back. Her Shepard reloaded quickly, and pressed forwards. The man fired the remainder of his shots into her barriers, but she knew rightly that they wouldn't fail her.

Leng ejected the spent heatsink as he retreated around the projector, but Ashley was ready for him. She sent a Carnage rifle grenade streaking across the room, striking a console just ahead of where he was running. The explosion flashed white light and sent the ex-operative spinning to the floor. Shepard ran towards him, eager to deliver the coup de grace.

Flipping to his feet, he threw aside his pistol and gripped his sword with both hands once again, charging at the Commander with a feral shout. Shepard fired a few shots, but wasn't able to stop him in time. She turned the rifle onto its side to deflect the swordblow. The blade cut straight through it, to her great shock, but it had moved the path of travel enough for her to avoid injury. She jumped back to avoid the next swipe, rolling away and activating her own omniblade, heaving breaths to concentrate.

The familiar battlelust was nowhere present in Shepard's mind. It was primal hate that overtook her thoughts, not the excitement of the fight. Her chest, arms and legs ached with it. This person had hurt an innocent, Liara, to get to her. It was her turn to charge, silently but with complete determination to kill.

Leng met the charge head on, sword pointed forwards rather than moving to cut. Shepard turned aside at the last moment, avoiding the point, and swung around in a rearward arc to stab the man in the head. He ducked and jumped back, landing more gracefully than a dancer. The Commander made to advance again, unreasonably irritated that he managed to escape. How dare he not die. The bastard.

Ashley pre-empted any further melee with another Carnage shot, tracking Leng this time. The munition exploded directly on his barriers, downing them completely and sprouting ragged red wounds on him. The Gunnery-Chief wasted no time in following up her attack by snapping off shots, injuring him further. Leng returned the favour by pulling a grenade off his belt and throwing it over the projector.

Shepard rushed forwards, the grenade's detonation ringing in her ears as she closed the distance.

Leng's sword pierced her side, but he was too badly injured to have meant it deliberately. It was a shallow wound. At the same instant, Shepard's omniblade found its original destination, burying itself in his forehead above his left eye, the strike so vicious that her armoured fist followed it up and struck his skull, sending the dead man slamming onto his back with a thud.

The omniblade deactivated, and Shepard fell backwards onto her backside. Relief hit her hard, making her strangely feeble. She looked for Ashley.

"Chief, you alive over there?" she asked.

"You bet, Commander," came the answer, followed by the head and weapon of the Chief herself, checking on the situation, "It's over?"

"Yeah," Shepard replied. She began to stand up, the motion requiring some effort but her body recovering from its instinctual state quickly. Fights of that kind were always taxing, when they were over.

"Let's go warn the DID that Cerberus has AI," Shepard said, "There's no threat here any more."

* * *

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope to get out a few more chapters of this, given how long the space between releases has been previously due to Outlander and the Wars of the Systems Alliance stories I've been working on._

_**KnightofHolyLight**: __Haider is very well informed, but the Defence Intelligence Directorate is not omniscient. The identity of Liara's father isn't well known even in high asari circles, only the asari's own intelligence services are aware of it on some level. So, if Haider's informants don't know, she can't know. _

_**LombaxWarfare**: __The RAM Rifle is essentially a mass-accelerator like any other. The design started as a pre-mass effect electrically assisted weapon. That is to say, it fired a bullet like a regular gun we might use today, except the bullet was propelled not only by a chemical charge but its speed was greatly increased by use of railgun tech. All weapons in mass effect are railguns to some extent. _

_What makes the weapon unique in this setting is that while other weapons, even sniper rifles, are firing tiny sand-sized metal shards, the RAM Rifle continues to fire full sized high calibre bullets and does so at speeds far in excess of most mass-accelerators. This is why it doesn't use regular heatsinks, why Shepard has to open the thing up and manually load each shot, etc. It's a hugely powerful weapon that can't have the same features as other mass-accelerators because its entire internal structure is dedicated to making sure it doesn't self-destruct from firing so much mass at such high speeds. _

_**HighFlyer**: __There was significant fighting in Paris, sure, and the glaciers made it as far as the northern edge of the city before measures were taken to protect the urban sectors. Basically, redirected the ice around the city, both sides having an interest in preserving the city. There will be greater examination of the Cold War in the Prelude to Battle sections of the upcoming First Contact War volume in my Wars of the Systems Alliance story._


	35. Codex: Cerberus & Other Entries

_AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: This chapter is largely a response to a number of reviewers, whom I'll address directly at the end. With the added bonus of addressing what I feel are some serious plotholes in the Bioware canon._

_It's also another, belated, milestone chapter. The story passed 300 favourites and 400 followers some time ago. Can't say anything except that I'm honoured. And baffled._

_Enjoy._

* * *

**Codex: Cerberus**

Cerberus is a military organisation with the express purpose of defending human interests at almost any cost, and expanding the resources available to humanity to assure its dominance over the galaxy. Founded in 2157 in the aftermath of the First Contact War by 'The Illusive Man', a figure of much controversy in human circles, Cerberus started out as nothing more than a terrorist group created from the merger of several smaller private military companies that had served on Shanxi against the turians.

By 2183 however, the organisation controls or has great influence on every human-majority world in the Terminus Systems, and possesses military forces capable of keeping them. Overall, they control the sixth largest number of known garden worlds in the galaxy, behind the Citadel Three, the Systems Alliance, and the Batarian Hegemony. Many of these have been won by a mixture of subterfuge, human immigration and naked force, as Cerberus seeks to expand humanity's realm.

The guiding principle put forth by the Illusive Man is that any method of advancing humanity's rise is justified by the threat of genocide that hangs over all 'minor' species. The fate of the krogan and the intention of the turians to subjugate humanity during the First Contact War are regularly pointed to in Cerberus propaganda as clear instances where the galactic community endorsed just such a principle. Most Cerberus operatives and agents concede that many of the actions undertaken are brutal, even criminal, but that ethical concerns must be tempered by the reality of the galaxy.

Membership of Cerberus has been a criminal offence in Alliance space since 2165, the year that humanity was admitted as a recognised species of the Citadel and the same year that Cerberus operatives successfully stole anti-matter from the aging Alliance cruiser, SSV Geneva. However, the only person ever convicted for membership was Michael Moser Lang, a lone gunman who shot both the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of the European Union in 2173. It is thought that the Defence Intelligence Directorate deals with discovered Cerberus agents in a more summary fashion, particularly after the 2177 Akuze Incident, where the organisation allegedly lured an Alliance Army unit into a nest of Thresher Maws.

Despite its ruthless reputation, or perhaps because of it, Cerberus has long had backers of extremely wealthy means. Its hyper-expansionist ideology akin to the Manifest Destiny doctrine of 19th Century America attracts huge investment, as the organisation moves its puppets to create safe zones of human space beyond the borders of the Alliance, which can then be economically developed or exploited in turn.

**Codex: The Confederation of the Terminus**

Openly, the Confederation of the Terminus is a collection of planets in the Terminus Systems that have pooled together their resources to counteract the huge power of the pirate barons, slavers and mercenary warlords. However, the CoT has been accused of being a puppet organisation for Cerberus, as well as offering significant cover to its agents in acquiring resources throughout the galaxy. While there is significant truth in such a claim, the absolute truth is more complex.

All but one of the worlds in the CoT are human-dominated, the exception being a high gravity planet settled by isolationist elcor colonists. Most of the worlds that have been settled rather than taken from other species are dominated by nationalists from the former Pan-Asian Coalition on Earth. Worlds that have been taken from alien domination, either through immigration, warfare or both, have mostly been settled by those wishing to escape Alliance taxation, military service or wanting a more adventurous lifestyle. As such, the governments of the Confederation have a significant libertarian streak.

This has proved to be both an advantage and disadvantage to Cerberus' political aims. Rallying the worlds together behind the banner of humanity has proven difficult, as nationalists want nothing to do with it and the adventurers are too busy trying to make money. On the other hand, the colonists distrust a powerful governmental military, and have opted to contract out the majority of their defence responsibilities, an opportunity that Cerberus has seized upon.

**Codex: Extra Order Defence**

Extra Order Defence is a private military company founded in 2171 to provide military capabilities to the Trade Federation, a precursor of the Confederation of the Terminus, in the form of both a fleet and an army. Unlike the CoT, Extra Order are a known Cerberus front. Its officers are Cerberus agents, and all personnel are humans. Due to Cerberus' own extensive funding and taxation payments from member worlds of the CoT, Extra Order are perhaps the best equipped military force in the Terminus Systems, challenged only by Aria T'loak's Omega. The company takes its military philosophy from the Systems Alliance; quality over quantity, professional rather than conscript troops, large drone forces, and a carrier-based approach to naval warfare. Given that the company faces multiple potentially overwhelming threats with competing agendas, much like the Alliance itself does, these philosophies are well suited to both the CoT's needs and Cerberus objectives.

As of 2183, the CEO of Extra Order is General Oleg Petrovsky, the former commander of the Alliance Army's Thirteenth Legion and Shepard's formal superior during her role on Torfan in 2178. Already, changes to the structure of the company are under way. As human forces push towards the Perseus Veil, the company's fleets have pre-empted the Alliance and Versailles Pact forces, clearly at the behest of the Illusive Man. They have been observed eliminating potential thorns before they strike the sides of the advance, often using WMDs and overwhelming conventional attacks to accomplish the task. This has greatly reduced the time that Pact forces have had to spend in securing relay clusters from Terminus pirates, and the advance on the quarian home cluster is now months ahead of schedule.

* * *

Report: Cerberus raid on the SSV Athena

MESSAGE BEGINS

From: Major-General Haider; DID

To: Admiral Hackett, Rear-Admiral Shepard; Fifth Fleet

Re: Cerberus Infiltration of Arcturus and the Athena

In relation to your inquiry as to exactly what happened on Arcturus last week, I have collated as much information on the events as possible and have come to a set of conclusions. None of them encouraging.

The first is that Cerberus' actions were prepared for by Alliance personnel, sleeper agents that have been cultivated by the terrorists since at least 2171. Some of them may have even been recruited for this task as young as the age of twelve. A minimum of three individuals had absolute knowledge of what they were doing, and these have been arrested and charged with treason, mutiny and desertion under Alliance military penal codes. Another fifty have been arrested for questioning, and as many as two hundred are being considered for surveillance. None of them are Fifth Fleet personnel.

The second conclusion is that this action will likely mean the end of Cerberus infiltration on Arcturus. The DID has known for a while about Cerberus presence on our fleet headquarters, but hasn't been able to get the proof required or the permission to act with the free hand we are allowed elsewhere. The coordination of what happened required so many of Cerberus' human resources, that it is doubtful that any could possibly remain. Assuming most of the fifty arrested are detained for charges, it will eliminate essentially anyone with question marks over their heads in my mind.

The third conclusion leads from the second: Cerberus are very VERY interested in artificial intelligence, and must view it as a factor that can give them the winning edge in any potential conflict with the Citadel or with Terminus forces. Interested enough to burn their assets in a single throw.

The fourth conclusion is that Cerberus know exactly how to hit us when they want to, unsurprising given the level of information they must have available from espionage and corporate sources. The Cerberus team was small, too small to represent a threat in the minds of any uninvolved security personnel. It was led by 'Operative L', by all accounts a beautiful woman with considerable intellectual and physical assets. The vast majority of our security forces are men, no doubt their tongues failed to remain in their mouths. The other member of the team, the former Lieutenant Kai Leng, would have been completely overshadowed by her. They came in with supposedly legitimate credentials as private sector VI experts, co-opting the news on the wing that VI experts were on the Athena that day. The soldier who checked the credentials is currently in custody.

They entered the Athena through by spacewalking, using airlock maintenance as a cover to exit, and proceeding to a damaged section. The same way Commander Shepard entered. The maintenance tech responsible is looking at fifty years for her role in that. They proceeded to the bridge, and Operative L used her biotics to overwhelm the hijacked security mechs, a factor that the AI probably didn't account for when allowing the team through in the first place. They subdued the work crew with ease, and proceeded to hack the defences of the VI core. Once Commander Shepard had arrived and the firewalls down, the AI streamed itself to a private connection on board a freighter waiting in queue to leave the system, the MSV Strongbow.

Operative L abandoned Kai Leng to his fate, at the request of Shepard, and proceeded to the port flight deck to make her escape. Three fighters had been left in the tubes, the engineer who made that decision is also currently in custody. Operative L launched from the port tubes, and went to FTL before anyone could react or even turn off their IFF targeting safeties. No blame has been assigned to the fighter pickets, as we have determined that there was no possibility for the pilots to intercept before she would have escaped. Relay surveillance has her moving in the direction of the Traverse long before we could cut her off. We tracked her journey through Arcturus Theta, Skyllia Gamma, Shanxi Alpha and Relay 245 before losing her in the heavy traffic. We might pick up the trail once we wade through the reports, but the good money is on her going to the Terminus. Same story with the MSV Strongbow.

My fifth conclusion is that this outcome could have been avoided had Commander Shepard received different rules of engagement and mission parameters. Rear-Admiral Shepard's decision to protect the work crew, valuable experts on VI and AI tech as they are, undoubtedly led to a situation whereby Commander Shepard did not feel like she could sacrifice the crew to stop Cerberus. While the Rear-Admiral has absolute prerogative where the SSV Athena is concerned, as it remains her commission even while the ship is in dry-dock, the lack of an order to stop the spread or escape of the AI at all costs contributed greatly to the Cerberus mission. Commander Shepard and Gunnery-Chief Williams were in the position to eliminate both Cerberus agents. They did not do so for fear of harm to the work crew.

It remains to be seen whether or not this matter should have been referred to me, rather than being handled internally by the Navy, but one thing is perfectly clear; it was not one of the finer moments in the history of the Alliance military. Lucky for us that the news of what actually occurred remains hidden. The Consuls are even pleased, as it looks like we're conducting an anti-Cerberus purge of Arcturus simply because. The Citadel Councillors are tickled with delight.

Don't hide things from me in the future.

Major-General Haider.

MESSAGE ENDS

MESSAGE BEGINS

From: Admiral Hackett; Fifth Fleet

To: Major-General Haider; DID

Last I checked, the Chief of Staff of the Navy was named Steven Hackett, not Karla Haider. Just as there is currently no director for intelligence from the Navy, it does not mean you have the right to stick your nose into my fleet. The experts that Hannah and Jane saved are absolutely essential to the Navy's war effort, particularly as we near Adas and Rannoch itself. Besides that, the Army might have people it finds expendable, but we don't.

Your advice is otherwise noted.

Admiral Hackett.

MESSAGE ENDS

* * *

_REVIEW REPLIES:_

_**KnightOfHolyLight**: __The press do love a good celebrity romance story. Shepard however, does not._

_The AI is something akin to EDI's mother. Though that means Sovereign is the father? Yeesh._

_Leng is a complete wildcard, and that such a character was written in as part of a terrorist organisation as ruthlessly centralised as Cerberus is tends to annoy me. Only people who are that eager in terrorist or criminal organisations tend to be cops. He was a complete liability in the Bioware canon, a dog with only one trick; bite. So, I got rid of him. You're not wrong about them wanting to keep Shepard on-side though._

_**Mik3k**:__ So am I._

_**OMAC001**: __Hope this chapter answers your question. Somewhat._

_**Guest**: __The Citadel DLC for ME3 sorta shoots your first point to pieces. EDI survived with her personality and base code intact despite disconnection with the Normandy. Besides, an AI is essentially software, not hardware, and there is nothing that says software needs to be physically transported. It can be beamed away wirelessly, which is what happened. I thought I had made that pretty obvious; an omnitool could hardly carry an AI basecode._

_Shepard offered life on an Alliance research station. Cerberus offered life on-board a ship or mech. For a creature wanting freedom, the Cerberus offer is clearly better. Furthermore, the nature of the Alliance vs the nature of Cerberus also works in favour of choosing the latter; if the Citadel discovers the Alliance has a working AI, they'll demand that it be destroyed and the Alliance would comply. Whereas Cerberus is already an enemy of the Citadel, doesn't engage with the Citadel openly, and it operates out of the Terminus Systems. The turians have already shown a reluctance to get into a full scale war there, so the AI is far safer with Cerberus too as long as that remains the case. The status of Cerberus as a 'terrorist' organisation essentially means nothing to a sentient being that hasn't learned or been programmed with morality._

_**Lanzador**: __I really must disagree on the subject of Kai Leng's competence. _

_As I've said before, Liara has a very specific role in the trilogy of stories that I can't reveal yet. Though she now has a second role, one of entertaining me by seeing how far I can push her in terms of becoming like Shepard. Melding with the Butcher of Torfan has its side effects, after all._

_Necronicus: __Glad to hear it._

_**T3HPrO**:__ The Cerberus-as-Nazis thing is pretty much a trope in its own right by the stage, at least where fan fiction is concerned. _

_As I said above, Liara was chosen for a very specific role. Personally, I prefer Tali, but I also prefer a FemShep, so I couldn't have made that a thing even if I dismissed a major plot point. I've realised to a certain extent that it is a distraction, which is why the romance will have more and more immediate consequences. _

_The story will remain focused on the action though, the romance will remain relegated to scenes like in the last chapter; setting up the story for the chapter or in its conclusion._

_**Sophie**: __Cerberus were plenty competent before I came along, Kai Leng excluded. They flipped Udina, successfully brought Shepard back to life, assassinated the President of the United States, created a serum that suppresses biotics, cloned Shepard, seized Omega, etc etc. I could go on._

_As for whether or not it is depressing that they're competent, that depends on your own opinion of Cerberus, I guess. I'm trying to portray them as ambiguously in moral terms as possible._


	36. Chapter 29: Keyhole

**Chapter 29: Keyhole**

The mass relay twinkled nearby, a giant silver-white key floating in space, the dark energy bubble within glowing bright blue. Around it was a giant spherical formation of ships, guarding the device from what might come through its paired sibling, thousands of lightyears away. The front had reached the Perseus Veil at last. The fighting from now on would take place not on human worlds, not in human homes, but in the very heart of the Geth Collective's stolen empire. The gloves could come off entirely.

Shepard, sitting in her chair with a cup of coffee on the CIC, watched the live stream of navigation data with a smile. Although neither Saren nor his superdreadnought had been spotted for a month, she felt real progress towards defeating him was being made. The Mu Relay remained conspicuously alone and untouched. The geth had failed to present a front in the Terminus Systems either, and the pirates had been routed before the newly formed Versailles Pact fleets could arrive. Rannoch was within reach. Surely Saren had to be as well.

Movement in her peripheral vision caught her eye. Tali was fidgeting nearby, either impatient at the delay of their new mission or nervous because of what it would mean for her personally. The Commander felt a scratch of impatience herself, and turned to Pressly.

"Do we have confirmation from Admiral Hackett yet?" she asked, as much to relieve Tali as herself, "We've been here for an hour."

"Nothing yet," Pressly replied, "Admiral Okajima is likely still holding us up, worried that we'll get caught and give away how many ships he's bringing. He's been sending the decoy probes through regularly to throw the geth off to our initial arrival, but he's not exactly happy about it."

Shepard snorted. "Like that matters, there is only one relay into the Far Rim that we know of, and only one into Tikkun. Besides, the Normandy is solid. We can sneak past anything."

"It's probably some political bullshit," came a voice from behind. Shepard turned, and found Ashley leaning against the bulkhead directly behind. "They don't want to risk the new toy, or humanity's first Spectre, on what might be a false lead."

"Nonsense, the probe sent its confirmation codes by FTL comm buoy right on schedule," Pressly said with a wave of his hand, "If the geth had hacked it, the failsafe would have activated and we'd know it was a trap. The thing doesn't even have a single central processor, there's no way the geth could have hacked it."

That seemed optimistic to the Commander. The geth were very capable problem solvers.

"Doesn't mean they won't know it was around," Shepard said, "The probe wasn't programmed to try and return for a reason. The Normandy's being sent so we can get the intel earlier than would otherwise be possible."

"My people helped design it, Shepard," Tali cut in, "The geth could not fake a signal from its comms systems, not without also hacking the comm buoy on our end."

"So, we sneak past the geth, land on the planet where it is hiding out, get it and get out," Ashley rattled off, "No complications. Right. Because we never go in for complications."

"Whatever happens, we'll be ready for it Williams," Joker called from the bridge, "I'll get us out of there, no problem."

"I hope for all our sakes that your cockiness is warranted, Flight Lieutenant!" Pressly heckled, "Otherwise, I'll make it my mission to personally kick you in the ass before the ship goes down."

"Ouch," Joker replied, "My ass isn't as hard as yours Pressly, that would be a terrible way to die."

Shepard and some of the crew had a good chuckle, the ones near Pressly himself restraining themselves to a suppressed grin. The XO continued his work, a scowl on his face.

"I guess we should look on the bright side," Ashley continued, crossing her arms, "If we survive this, we'll be the first humans to ever travel through the Perseus Veil."

A light bulb lit up in Shepard's mind, like the Chief had flipped a switch. She turned to the young quarian beside her.

"Tali, does this mean you'll be the first quarian to return to the Veil in three hundred years?" she asked.

Tali paused, her eyes moving behind her mask. "I.. think so. We've sent probes of our own through, but every time the Fleet has tried to go back, they've been stopped here at the Phoenix Massing..." she said slowly, "Wow. I hadn't even thought about that..."

The Commander could not help but be happy for the young quarian.

"Congratulations!" Shepard laughed, "You'll be as famous as I am, and for a better reason."

"I'm already an Admiral's daughter, remember?" Tali replied, "I hope you're wrong."

"Impossible," Ashley said, shaking her head, "You bring back the homeworld for your gift thing, people are going to idolise you. Trust me."

Tali looked between the two of them, and then at the floor, standing bolt straight. Shepard tried and failed to interpret the body language, but quarian cues weren't the same as human ones in a lot of cases. The obvious ones were the same with almost every species; lust, anger, relaxation. Everything else required a deeper understanding. She hoped to get such an understanding of the quarians, once it was all over. They were humanity's allies now, after all.

An arrow of sadness went through Shepard as she realised other teammates were missing out on the historymaking. Garrus and Kaidan were still out with injuries, both getting used to their new body parts. Liara had remained on the Citadel. Her mother was getting better. Wrex had finally checked out, his insides having healed perfectly despite all the worry. The Commander's sadness went away as she realised Wrex would be the first krogan to return to the Veil. She wondered if that would gain him credit among his own kind.

Pressly looked up and spoke.

"Commander, we're receiving the orders now, message reads:

_SSV Normandy from Space Command Terra._

_Low likelihood of tampering in probe signal from the Perseus Veil. Space Command Terra believes that its confirmation of mission completion is authentic. _

_Proceed via Phoenix Alpha Relay to the Far Rim Cluster. Exit Dholen System and proceed to star cluster designated FR392. Probe will land on the second planet and reactivate its transponder in three days for retrieval. Conditions are habitable. Limited FTL comms are already established within the system, but may be detected at any time. If communications cut off, withdraw and evade enemy forces. General combat operations in the Veil will commence at the end of your designated mission time._

_A packet with all available information is attached to this message._

_Good luck, Commander._

_Admiral Hackett, Commanding Admiral, Fifth Fleet._"

Shepard straightened in her chair. The moment had come.

"XO, action stations," she commanded, "Joker, prepare for relay jump and immediate stealth mode upon arrival. Weapons master, prepare targeting solutions on all hostiles."

"Aye Ma'am!"

The Normandy hummed as Joker applied the engines' power, and slid the ship gracefully towards the relay. It began to spin up, the blue light glowing more and more as it prepared to send the Normandy to its fate. The CIC officers began sounding off their readiness, and Pressly gave the command to proceed. The relay grabbed the ship.

"One small step for a woman, one giant leap for humankind," Shepard joked to Tali. The quarian didn't get the reference, tilting her head in inquiry.

The relay activated and threw the ship into the unknown, before Shepard could laugh.

* * *

The geth fleet stood in silent columns, smaller tender vessels zipping through the gaps in the formations, but otherwise not manoeuvring beyond correcting their orbits. Navigating the way out wasn't difficult, though there were close calls with the tenders. A frigate was dispatched to the exact point the Normandy arrived at, but the ship would be long gone by the time it got there. To Shepard's great relief, they managed to get to FTL beyond the geth picket lines with no great trouble at all, and she was careful to have Pressly record the positions of the geth ships. There were more combat groups orbiting Haestrom, the former colony. More precious intel.

The journey to the system where the probe was to take sixty seven hours. The quarian name for the place had been lost. The planet where the probe was to land was Falun, discovered early in quarian expansion into the galaxy but largely untouched. The life there was levo, not dextro. Terraforming was viewed as too expensive for a world barely in the preferred temperature range for quarians. There had been no shortage of other worlds to colonise.

On arriving in system, Shepard ordered that the drives be discharged on the far side of the outermost of the system's four gas giants, away from any prying eyes, and had the ground team prepare for the drop onto Falun. She dressed in her armour and returned to the CIC for the hard part; the approach. If it was a trap, detecting it could only happen while they were in space. Trapped on the ground, they would be mincemeat.

When the drive discharge was complete and the stealth systems' heatsinks cooled, there was only one thing left to do.

"Take us in Joker, high orbit over Falun," Shepard said, "Nice and easy."

"Hell yes, Commander," Joker said.

The Normandy crested from its position behind the gas giant, turned, and went to FTL. It was a journey of seconds, given how fast the ship was, and the stealth systems flickered to life immediately on arrival. Anyone watching might have seen a brief flicker of light and heat at a point in the sky, and could mistake it for a random burst of radiation.

Shepard watched her monitors and the hologram intently as the sensors poured data onto them. The planet didn't seem to have any large structures, which was encouraging. The geth were known to place outposts pretty much everywhere. The planet's moon, Falun-Ni, was also missing any sign of a geth presence. Given that there were no known special resources on either body, that was unsurprising. The FTL comms buoy that the probe had dropped was intact and in a polar orbit. The Commander began to hope.

The data from further away from the Normandy's position kept arriving regardless.

A huge number of heat contacts, or shadows in the case of those directly in front of the sun, began to crop up, seeming to stretch in a great ring around an orbit further down the gravity well towards the parent star. The ring kept growing as the Normandy's VI made sense of the readings, sharpening the contact images progressively. A small number of the contacts moved, in the disturbingly familiar manner that had been seen of the tenders at the Far-Rim relay.

Shepard felt like she had been stabbed again.

"It's a whole geth fleet," she breathed, not believing her eyes. And a massive fleet it was too. If the geth had reserves of ships like this, the Alliance didn't stand a chance.

"What the hell are they doing all the way out here?!" Pressly complained, "There's no reason for the geth to guard this system." He began browsing the data on his screen directly, trying to find the answer. Joker beat him to it.

"They're not ships... well, most of them aren't," Joker said, "They're space stations. Look at the nearest one. Those huge plates have got to be solar panels, or the geth really like the shade. They're even connected to each other, if you look closely."

Shepard felt her lungs reinflate, pulling her data tablet to her hands and adjusting the hologram image. Sure enough, the nearest space station was connected to as many as six others. At the scale of the hologram, it looked like a spider's web, but the Commander knew that the 'strands' between each station had to be the width of a dreadnought. She realised she was looking at perhaps the greatest feat of engineering in the history of the galaxy.

"It's a Dyson sphere, or the beginnings of one," Pressly said, giving words to her thoughts, "Solar output is down a couple of percent of what you'd expect from a star of this class."

"Pressly, inform Tali and stream the data to her omnitool," Shepard said, "Joker, any sign that we've been spotted?"

The pilot didn't respond for several minutes.

"I've identified twenty geth military vessels, none of them have moved from their orbits to intercept," Joker said, "The stealth systems are working fine."

"Thank God," Pressly added, "Any idea what the whole thing is for? Why do the geth need or want a Dyson sphere?"

No one had an answer to that. Shepard didn't like it. She tapped her omnitool to ask someone who should.

"Tali, are you seeing this?" she asked, "Any idea what the geth are doing?"

"If I had to guess, I would say it was a giant server hub. The pieces have radiators at the back big enough to mean that there is a lot of equipment on each station," Tali said, before following it up, "But I can't know for sure!"

"So, it's like what? A giant geth city?" Shepard asked.

"More like the geth homeworld," Tali replied, "If I'm right about what it is."

Shepard frowned. Did this mean the geth had abandoned Rannoch? It seemed strange for the synthetics to do so. Even if they didn't need garden worlds, Rannoch was still their birthplace as much as it was the quarians' own. Either way, it was more information the Alliance needed to know.

"Have to say it's a lot uglier than Tuchanka," Wrex interrupted with a growl, "Hey Shepard, are we going down to that planet or what? I'm getting itchy here."

Shepard leaned back in her chair to consider the question. On the one hand, their cover was intact and the information the probe had could be extremely valuable. On the other, the possibility of being caught seemed massively increased now that she knew that the geth presence in the system was this heavy. If she ordered the Normandy home now, she wouldn't be walking away empty-handed. The geth fleet positions, the existence of the geth Dyson sphere, that was valuable intel.

But the Commander was not one for half-measures.

"Wrex, I'll be down there in a minute," Shepard said, rising from her seat, "Pressly, you have the bridge. Let's go get the probe."

"Yes, Commander!"

* * *

The trip groundside was an unusual one. No evidence that anyone had been present could be left behind, and if they were spotted, there had to be some doubt that it was an Alliance mission. That meant no drop pods, not that Wrex would have fit into one anyway, no wingsuits, and nothing that couldn't conceivably be bought in the Terminus. It meant a HALO drop, the kind which humans had been doing for centuries but had become obsolete with the dawn of the drop pod.

To Shepard's great relief, the prohibition on Alliance equipment didn't exclude her weapons, but it did exclude her armour. She found herself in some Terminus' armoursmith's work that was lighter than she was used to, packing a parachute into a camouflaged bag. That they would have to carry the things through the winding trees with vicious and large thorns rather than just dumping them was an annoyance, but landing the Normandy with the geth nearby in such large numbers would have been too risky. They hadn't strayed far from where the probe had transmitted its position to the comm buoy. Sure they had made the best landing they could, Shepard looked to the team.

Tali was dutifully checking her shotgun, entirely devoted to the mission in a way that Shepard hadn't seen before but wasn't surprised at. They were fighting on her 'home soil' now, after all. Wrex was already searching the surrounding woods with his eyes. Ashley was pulling her parachute bag onto her back, not really paying much attention to the surroundings. The krogan was far less confident than the Chief that the geth were nowhere nearby.

Shepard preferred Ashley's optimism.

"Probe is that way," she said, pointing off towards a rocky, open area to the south, "Let's go."

They advanced at a quick walking pace, not quite hurrying but not moving casually either. The terrain was difficult. The trees were more like giant weaves of thorned vines than anything you might see on Earth or its colonies. The air was cold and had more oxygen in it than Shepard was used to. It was strangely tiring and refreshing, hard to move in but easier to breath. It wasn't very long before the others began to comment.

"What the hell are these things?" Ashley asked, hacking away a large spiked tail from an overhead branch, "Giant rose bushes?"

"According to the information sent by the Flotilla, they are a dominant plant species indigenous and unique to this planet," Tali replied helpfully, "Something to do with how much the animals here like to eat flowers."

Ashley eyed the thorns narrowly. "So you're saying the six inch blades coming out of these trees are to stop animals?" she said incredulously, "Suddenly, I hope we don't run into them. They must be huge!"

"I've seen bigger," Wrex said, "So have you. Thresher Maws are everywhere now. Wasn't always that way."

"Don't say that," Shepard snapped, "Say that, and one of those will show up. Then our cover will be blown."

"Or we'll be dead," Tali added.

Most likely, Shepard thought. "Just keep moving, we're almost out of this tangle anyway," she said.

With a swipe from her omniblade, the last tapestry of gnarled wood gave way and the rocky plain ahead could be seen more clearly. It wasn't a beautiful planet, at least where they were. Ugly grey mountains sat on the horizon, and the soil began to thin out almost immediately from the forest's edge. Shepard stared at the scene blankly for a moment, thinking to herself that it was no mystery as to why the quarians hadn't bothered to settle the place.

It was harder going on the rock than it had been in the forest. There weren't any great chasms or cliffs to navigate, just holes that would grab a boot with ease, lots of loose stones to lose footing on, gashes that allowed falls large enough to hurt or break bones in, and just enough elevation changes to make seeing any good distance a problem. Tali led the way, Shepard taking up the middle with Wrex, as Ashley guarded the rear. Every couple of hundred metres, they would run a motion sweep. For three checks, there was nothing. Shepard began to hope. It was only four hundred metres to the probe.

The grass-speckled mud made its return as they moved in towards their goal. Shepard had stopped upon noticing this, when the unmistakeable noise of a sonic boom signalled the arrival of a ship. A geth ship.

"Down!" Shepard said, dropping to her stomach into the mud. They tracked the geth dropship as it slowed in a large circle directly in front of them. Geth troopers began landing, at least a dozen of them. No mechs or prime units. An investigation team, Shepard thought, but all it would take to ruin the mission was one of the geth identifying them.

Shepard cursed under her breath and motioned for Tali to come to her. The quarian crawled over, holding her shotgun off the ground and scrambling on the remaining three limbs.

"How did they know the probe was here?" Shepard whispered.

"Perhaps the broadcast drew their attention," Tali said, "It's encrypted, but a radio signal from the planet might be detected if they had the right sensors."

Shepard rubbed her face, reflecting on how close they must have been to being detected themselves if that was the case. She had ordered complete emissions discipline essentially on a whim, not really believing that radio signals would draw the geth in but not taking any chances either. The Normandy had orders to come in once it spotted the team at the probe landing site. The geth made things a little more complicated.

"Can you jam their communications?" the Commander asked.

"Oh... that shouldn't be hard, I guess," Tali replied, "But if they're in constant communication with their ship, the cut off might bring more ships."

"Can you determine if they are communicating with the dropship?" Shepard said, pulling her RAM rifle off of her back.

"I believe so," Tali said, before activating her omnitool in the lee of a large rock, where the glow wouldn't be seen. There was still plenty of daylight, so it was no danger, yet Shepard couldn't help but wince at the possibility of the glow of the tool being seen. She moved on her elbows over to Ashley and Wrex.

"We're going to advance, slowly," Shepard explained, "We need to get into position to take out the geth all at once."

Wrex peeked over the edge of his own rock. "They're spreading out," he said, "How do we do that exactly?"

"Easy," Ashley said, pulling her own RAM rifle out, "We wait until they're about to find the probe."

"It's not a standard Alliance design and it has no identifying markings," Shepard added, "They shouldn't be able to tell who it belongs to without taking it apart."

Wrex agreed by moving forwards, crawling from outcrop to outcrop. The Commander watched him get closer to the geth, where he could bring his shotgun and biotics to bear more effectively. The synthetics themselves had started moving, searching in what had to be a grid pattern. Shepard tracked them with her eyes.

"Chief, head left to that big monolith over there," she whispered, "Get up onto it. There are two 'destroyer' units. Take one with your AMR and then put a carnage round into the nearest group."

"Yes ma'am," Ashley replied, before crawling away on her stomach.

Satisfied that job would get done, Shepard looked around for something resembling high ground to take out the other destroyer. There was a flat-topped rise to the right. With a nod, she returned to Tali.

"Well, what's the verdict?" she asked.

Tali deactivated her omnitool. "They put out a more powerful signal every three minutes. That has to be their check-in. Two more cycles, and I'll be able to jam their comms."

"Three minutes should be enough time to kill them all," Shepard said, "The Normandy should get the picture when the shooting starts. We should be able to escape before the dropships return."

"With the probe's core," Tali said.

Shepard looked at the quarian. "Join Wrex at the front," she said, somewhat reluctantly, "I want those smaller geth units firing at their friends."

"Sure, Commander," said Tali, determination in her tone, "Let's get them."

With a pat on the shoulder, Shepard crawled away again.

By the time she had reached her firing point, the geth were closing in on the probe. Its signal had deactivated as the pod detected movement, but the geth had triangulated its position. From their movement, the Commander had been able to train her sights on the thing herself. It was a long cylinder with a rounded nose, short stubby wings and thrusters coming off of them. It reminded Shepard of what the old pre-First Contact frigates, like the model one that her mother always kept in her room. It was coloured black, but had taken some heat damage that had turned the extreme edges of its profile white. If the geth hadn't been closing in on it, it might have been easily missed, laying on its side like it was.

Wrex and Tali were approaching perfect distance to begin the attack. Ashley was aiming between two parts of the rock she was perched on, the grey and black of her armour hiding her profile further. The geth were almost at the probe themselves. Shepard smiled, and placed her crosshairs on the back of the geth destroyer heading up the group on her side. With one eye on the scope, she watched with the other for Tali's signal. Sure enough, the quarian lay down on her back beside Wrex, held up her hand, and began a countdown from three with her fingers.

Three.

Two.

One.

Shepard's hand tensed to pull the trigger, but her aim was suddenly thrown off as the ground began shaking slightly. She attempted to compensate, figuring it was merely a seismic anomaly, but it began to get worse. The ground began to bulge off to her right, tracking across her field of view. Straight towards the geth.

"Oh no," she said to herself, "Wrex, you just had to say it."

As if to mock her, the Thresher Maw burst forth from the ground adjacent the probe. It turned towards the geth and roared its challenge. It made the rachni look like god damn flies by comparison. Not even their queen looked like it could have withstood the sheer size and power of the creature staring down the synthetics.

To their credit however, the geth wasted absolutely no time. The destroyers opened the engagement with their missile launchers, lancing shot after shot towards the maw. The other geth fired too, concentrating their efforts on the open jaw, the eyes, the mandibles of the thing.

The thresher maw shrieked and dove forwards, dangerously close to Wrex and Tali, crashing into a group of three or four geth, tearing metal and plastic to crushed pieces in an instant.

"Shepard, do we shoot the geth or that thing?!" Ashley asked.

"Are the geth jammed?" Shepard asked.

"Yes," Tali squeaked, as she edged away from the maw's mass.

"Shoot the maw!" Wrex said, making the decision for everyone. He stood up, and sent a warp bolt towards the creature. The blue ball of dark energy tore a hole in its side, even as the maw spat a ball of acid at the geth destroyers. Green-yellow blood spilled forth, as the krogan followed up with his rifle-grenade, landing the shot perfectly. The thing jumped away with another roar in response, crashing into the next cluster of geth. Away from Tali and Wrex, to Shepard's relief.

Ashley's RAM rifle thundered, announcing her participation. The hypervelocity slug penetrated one side of the maw neatly and exited messily out the other, drawing the first truly pained noise from the creature. In retaliation, it struck down more of the geth, and spat at Ashley's position. The rock she was hiding on cracked, but she had wisely decided to reposition just beforehand. Showered with rock splinters, the Chief moved at a crouch to find another place to shoot from. Shepard watched her go, hoping she was alright. She couldn't break radio silence to know for sure. It would doom them all. She turned her attention back to the fight.

Tali and Wrex continued to fire Carnage rounds at the maw as it continued its rampage through the geth. Only the two destroyers were left now, but they were manoeuvring around the rocks with great agility and firing off multiple missiles as they did so. Shepard didn't like the conclusion she was drawing in her head, and Ashley's second shot through and through the thresher maw convinced her that she was right. The destroyers might very well survive the encounter. And the clock to them re-establishing communications with their dropship was ticking.

Once again, the Commander drew a bead on the nearest destroyer with her RAM rifle, waited for the synthetic to cross onto her sights, and fired. Her thunderclap signalled the end of the target, the slug catching the destroyer in the spine and shattering its body in half. The missile launcher in its hands discharged into a nearby rock, and the explosion threw the remains to the side. A satisfying end, Shepard thought, as she quickly reloaded.

The thresher maw, injured but still very much dangerous, turned its attention to the greater threat; Shepard's team. The destroyer still fired, but the Commander's shot had made it perfectly clear which group was to be feared most. The maw aimed at Shepard and lunged forwards. Her heart almost jumping out of her throat, she rolled backwards and onto her feet, sprinting as best she could over the rough, muddy ground, as the giant beast came on to kill her.

She paused for the briefest moment to fire her RAM rifle, off the hip no less, straight into its abdomen. It recoiled in agony, grunting its displeasure at an almost impossible volume, before resuming the hunt. Shepard moved and reloaded, as Ashley missed a shot in support, creating a deafening ping off to the rear. Slowly, her mind began to tick down the seconds to the moment it would catch her. She poured every last drop of energy she had into running.

The maw's head exploded, burst downwards in a spray of greenish innards. The body fell with a deep thud onto the ground, the death gurgle loud as the last breath escaped the thing's lungs. Mud splattered everywhere, the weight of the maw displacing it.

Shepard stopped running and stared, relief washing over her, gulping down whatever air she could.

The Normandy recovered from its sharp dive and circled around to land. The Commander could almost hear Joker's bragging from the cockpit, no comms required. Of course he had came in to help. She smiled up at the ship, until out of the corner of her eye, the last geth destroyer took aim with its missile launcher from the outcrop she had been shooting from. Not that it would do any good, but it was still an attack on her ship. Shepard drew her pistol and jumped aside.

A shot rang out, and the geth's legs gave. Tali appeared from below, and delivered the killing blow with two more shots, before giving Shepard a wave. The Commander sighed, shaking her head with disbelief.

"Good work!" Shepard shouted out, "Get the probe and let's get the hell out of here!"

Tali nodded and rushed off to do just that. Shepard hunched over, catching her breath, unable to stop herself from smiling like a madwoman. There was no way the geth dropship would arrive in time to discover them. Wrex was already striding over to help her, while Ashley waved the Normandy down.

They had done it. The geth would rue the day.

* * *

Cassandra DeRuyter boarded the command titan, stepping through the airlock of the _SSV Ulan Bator _onto the command deck. Her reduced command staff rushed in after her, taking their seats and securing themselves with straps. The hologram glimmered to life, displaying their intended dropzone, deformed by bombardment as it was, the geth underground structures exposed. Everything was ready, she noted. No one had expected her presence, yet everything was in perfect order. Even their guests.

A quarian marine stood in the limited space at the centre of the titan's CIC, waiting, his glowing eyes staring at her through his visor. The alien's body was well toned, but still had the impossibly exaggerated shoulders and thin hips of the males of his species. He was a lieutenant, a fact testified by the Alliance-standard double tab with double stars in the middle. All quarian forces now used human rank insignia.

Cassandra smiled at the young man, approaching and holding out her hand for him to shake. She liked quarians. She had history with them, and they had never betrayed humanity before. His eyes thinned slightly, indicating that he shared the sentiment or very much did not. The handshake was brief, and without the test of strength that some liked to put on.

"Field Marshal," the quarian said, "Lieutenant Kal'Reegar vas Neema, ready to kill geth."

"Glad to hear it," Cassandra replied, inspecting the hologram briefly. There had been no changes to her proposed plan due to naval problems. "I'm glad we have this opportunity," she added.

"I just wish we could retake the Veil in a way that didn't cost so many people their lives, ma'am," Reegar replied, "Like I said, my marines are ready to join your soldiers in whatever happens down there."

"Good," Cassandra replied, "Don't suppose you have any special insights into this planet?"

"Not really," Reegar said flatly, "A lot of the ancestors lived here. Largest colony before the Morning War. Was easier to escape from than Rannoch itself. That's all I know."

"Hopefully it'll be just as easy to land on," Cassandra mused, crossing her arms. The Navy had done a very good job softening up the place for the invasion, but there were some unique conditions that made the whole enterprise risky.

The internal comms crackled to life, announced by a short cough.

"This is the Captain," the speakers said, "T-minus five. All personnel secure for titan drop."

Cassandra waved for Reegar to join her at the command post, and together, they sat down, pulling the seat harnesses on and clipping the latches together. She wanted him right beside her for what was going to happen next.

"Major Scharnhorst, I want a front-wide line," she commanded, "Now."

"Right away, _Feldmarschall_," the adjutant replied, tapping on the screen to his left.

Reegar was looking at her. The reason why was not obvious. The mask hid his emotions well. This continued for a minute or so, before it became a matter to address. And Cassandra was good at guessing motives.

"Lieutenant, you are aware of my rank, correct?" she asked, "My real one."

"You're Chief of Staff of the Army," he responded, "You command all human forces that fight on or from planets or other orbital bodies." He had said so in a tone that made it clear that he was quoting his briefing document from memory. The Field Marshal kept her face blank.

"Correct," Cassandra said, "You must be wondering why I would be risking my life in a hot combat drop, given my rank?"

The eyes of the other human occupants of the CIC began finding her. It was something on their minds too. The highest ranked officers that ever made drops were major-generals, and they had only ever done so twice in Alliance history. Once at Shanxi, once at Elysium. A field marshal doing it, never mind the Chief of Staff, was entirely unheard of.

"The question did cross my mind, ma'am," Reegar said in earnest.

"Well, I'm about to tell you," Cassandra finished, "And everyone else."

"T-minus three minutes," said a new voice over the comms, "Ending hard-seal with payloads."

The sound of the connectors detaching from the airlocks sent a groan through the titan's hull, followed by the hiss of an airlock integrity test. There was no escape from the titan now. They were all in the 'falling fortress' for better or worse. Cassandra sighed at her fatalism, thinking it an overdramatic appraisal of a simple part of the procedure. She suppressed any last drop of nervousness, just in time for her adjutant to point to his earpiece. The line to all the other titans, shuttles and landing craft was open.

"Soldiers of the Veil Expeditionary Forces, this is your Field Marshal speaking direct from Titan Z96.

Once again, we find ourselves on the precipice of a great battle, in a great war for our survival. Humanity, it seems, cannot help but find itself at war. The galaxy is cruel, and often seems to yield only to the force of our arms. But as with every war, this one will end, and we can now see that end.

Yesterday, the Navy attacked the geth fleets guarding the way into the Perseus Veil with great success, courtesy of a stealth reconnaissance mission led by Commander Shepard. The first wave managed to completely break up the geth formations, and in response, the synthetics cut and ran to fight another day. Most retreated to Tikkun, the home system of the quarian people.

Today, the Navy is fighting one of the fleets that didn't run back to Rannoch, but has instead run to Vepra, a former colony and what intelligence has called a server hub. Now it's our turn. In order to understand the defences we are likely to face on Rannoch itself, we must take as many of the geth servers as we can and cleanse the world of any geth presence so that our new quarian allies can reoccupy it. The Army will fight alongside quarian marines today. As we fight for revenge and justice, they will fight for their birthright.

Against much advice and the recommendation of the consuls, today I will stand with you all and personally command the assault. I have lived long enough to have little to fear. I have already seen my children grow to splendid adulthood. I couldn't be more proud of them, even if one of them did join the Navy! My first grandchild was born a month ago. A new life to protect.

The geth want to take that away from you. Your family, your legacy, your people. They want to take your homes, your towns, your colonies, your homeworld, just like they took the quarians' own. They want to slaughter us, starting with you and ending with your loved ones. They want to tear down our civilisation and ground it into dust. Their synthetic gods command it.

We can have no mercy for the invader. Hate them, for they deserve our hate. Kill them, for they will kill us all. We shall tear their Reapers from their thrones and cast them to hell. That is our destiny. And it will all begin on this rock.

Be prepared, and good luck."

The comms crackled again, the same even female tone announcing the commencement of proceedings.

"Titan drop in:

Three

Two

One

Execute drop."

The gravity plates didn't entirely compensate for the force of the titan detaching from the cruiser, sending the bodies of the crew briefly upwards into their restraints. The acceleration soon came under control as the titan's thrusters kicked in and the planet's atmosphere began to buffer, sending everything back to zero-g as the whole craft hurtled towards the ground.

Comfortable enough, Cassandra slapped her console control, and the hologram obeyed. From a two dimensional map, the image changed to a three dimensional representation of the planet. Namely the part that her soldiers were going to be landing in, and the space above it.

The Second Fleet hung in geostationary orbit above the landing zones, shooting at the geth in space and on the ground. Somewhere out of the image, the geth fleet was engaged with them. Fighter squadron icons were making their way from the human fleet and off into the void. The icons of the Army's titans rained down on Vepra, as if the human ships were spitting at the planet.

"Suborbital trajectories are good," Major Scharnhorst reported steadily, "Meteorology predicts no adverse weather conditions. Landing will be on schedule and exactly correct."

Cassandra gave a single nod, keeping her gaze on the hologram. Scans by the probe recovered from the Normandy indicated huge server infrastructure in the northern and southern quarters of the planet. Where the machines could best be kept cool, no doubt. Her titans drifted towards the north pole, where most of the landmass was. The south was being bombarded to oblivion with pinpoint shots and some nasty new dark-energy WMD created just for the occasion.

A rash of new contact icons appeared in angry red on the surface of the planet. Cassandra felt her eyebrows inch upwards.

"Major, what are those?" she said, pointing at the hologram.

The adjutant repeated the question into his mouthpiece, albeit in more detail. His eyes moved from side to side, something Cassandra had noted he did when the response not quite what he was expecting.

"They're geth titans, ma'am," he said at last, "A hundred of them."

Cassandra frowned, remembering the reports from Feros. The battle had just become far more complicated.

"Inform the navy we're going to need fighter support," she ordered, "All forces, form up close for anti-titan operations. Looks like we outnumber them, but the geth aren't known for playing fair. Exact deployments to follow soon."

Affirmatives rang out from the humans, followed by chattering of orders. Cassandra turned to Reegar.

"I hope your people are ready to board titans," she said, "Because we don't have the firepower to take them all out quickly without getting our hands dirty."

Reegar nodded, saying nothing. But his hands grasped the seat restraints a little tighter. Cassandra understood.

* * *

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: We're really moving now! The end of this fiction is now in sight! I can't believe it! Not that it means the end of the story. BF2184 already has words on paper, and BF2185 is planned out. _

_Wasn't sure if the canon capabilities of the Normandy would allow for a stealthy relay jump. I know a standard FTL arrival couldn't be hidden, not by the SR-1 anyway, but I figured it could be done. Relays do the work on their jumps, not the ships, so there would be less radiation to begin with. As long as something was done to lull the geth into a false sense of security, i.e. send a bunch of probes through regularly to throw them off the scent._

_Notice: I intend to make a TV Tropes page for this fic, but I need help. If you see a trope, write it into your review! Cheers!_

_**Demon Lord Razgriz**: __Thanks very much for that information. As I suggested in our PMs, I will indeed be using that as part of the plot, most likely in BF2185._

_**Braclark**:__ Kai Leng probably won't be returning simply because I find him utterly two dimensional, and I don't think I can write him better than Bioware did. I won't rule it out entirely, because it's an interesting idea, but it's unlikely. I have a much more worthy opponent for Shepard in mind._

_The future of the geth is something you'll just have to wait and see about, won't you! _

_Legion will be in this story. Briefly._

_Glad you like this style of Humanity Fuck Yeah. I hope it seems more... realistic. The curbstomps are great fun to read, but tend to draw off at the end. _

_**KnightOfHolyLight**: __There's a definitely clash of the services at play. It's one of the biggest changes to the canon about the Alliance I've made. The idea that the Navy would take over what armies have been doing seems utterly absurd to me. The Navy didn't fold into the air force when the aircraft carrier was made, and armies didn't immediately come under naval command when the sailing ship was invented. Bottom line is that fighting in space and fighting on the ground somewhere are still two very different types of combat. Not to mention a merger would destroy centuries of tradition, and militaries are big on tradition. The tension between Haider and Hackett goes far beyond the issue at hand as a result._

_The Luna VI became an AI. Or at least, that's the impression I got. Add the Battlefield 2183 canon Alliance and its thirst for greater and greater capability, and you get the Athena AI._

_**General-joseph-dickson**: __I'll address this in the story in due time, as I said above. Glad you liked the Hackett response._

_**Jim**: __Glad you like it!_

_**Axcel**: __ The Turians don't believe in the civilian-military distinction. Given the resistance being put up, there was no way they would stop attacking. That said, the reason why there was no surrender will be explored in my Battlefield 2157 story. Which will be the next story to get an update or two, I might add._

_**Highflyer**: __Cheers!_

_**Necronicus**: __ The WMDs are indeed a balancing thing. The turians use cheap but readily available methods like asteroids and deorbited space stations, but that requires time and security to prepare. The salarians have biological and chemical agents. The asari have the Destiny Ascension, if they really want to bring the hurt to a world. Humanity has nukes and dark-energy weapons (like giant disruptor torpedoes). _

_You've gotten the exact impression I was trying to make about humanity, which is an absolutely delightful thing to hear._


	37. Chapter 30: The Sleeper

**Chapter 30: The Sleeper**

The screen on the wall beamed the delicate features of a human newscaster, her words entirely mute as she went through the motions of reporting domestic news from the human colonies and Earth. The latest from the war was due in a matter of minutes, but the Alliance wasn't in any hurry. The couch facing it was full, Garrus to one side and Kaidan to the other. Wrex was parked on the seat opposite, with Ashley grinning beside him. Elsewhere, other groups of the crew sat in similar formations of seating, socialising. But none of them were the centre of attention.

Liara watched Shepard as she laughed heartily at one of Garrus' bad jokes. The Commander's feet were crossed on top of the coffee table, her arms spread along the back of the couch, her head thrown back as the laugh bubbled out of her. The asari drank in the sight, the relief it gave her precious, a load off of her body and mind. It had been a long couple of weeks.

Her mother had shown no signs of improvement for much of it, and Shepard had went off on what was being described as the most daring and risky reconnaissance mission in the history of the galaxy. It looked as if Liara might lose them both to the geth and their Reaper gods.

Shepard had even assumed that Liara would have preferred to stay with her mother rather than venture to the Veil. The quiet, hopeful voice in her head said that the Commander had done so to protect her, that it was an expression of something deeper than lust, yet the idea had made her a little angry. Liara had no control over her mother's health, but could have helped Shepard. It was frustrating to remain behind.

It hadn't mattered in the end. Shepard returned to the Citadel in a blaze of glory, covered in fresh accolades for '_successfully navigating a relay in stealth_' and getting one over the geth in a way no one had thought possible. Benezia's condition, having been static for a fortnight, suddenly improved. The news of both events, helped along by strategic leaks, had led to a couple of things.

First, unhealthy interest in Liara and Shepard from journalists, to which the Commander answered no questions save from Emily Wong. When asked if there was a relationship between them, Shepard gave a terse 'Yes' and nothing more. There were no questions on whether or not that compromised her ability to fight Saren's other disciples. Not after what she had just achieved.

Second, the mood of the crew had greatly improved. Kaidan and Garrus were healed for the most part, and had been moved to private rooms in the recovery ward. In the aftermath of the Veil mission, it had become home base for the entire Normandy crew, even Pressly dropped by daily if only for a few minutes. Many had come to express regret about Benezia, and some had tried to cheer Liara up in a strange human manner.

Shepard fell into the jocular atmosphere by nature, a born soldier. Liara did what she thought best; quietly watch. The Commander's glances invited her to join, but even as her confidence grew, the young asari didn't feel that she could just yet. One of those precious to her had returned, but another wasn't out of danger yet.

Liara's trance was broken when Ashley suddenly waved to someone out of view.

"Has it started yet?" Tali asked, entering the room, "Have we won?"

"Not yet," Shepard replied, "Pull up a seat, it's supposed to be any minute now."

Tali scurried to comply, dragging a spare out of a corner, not wanting to miss the news to come. Enthusiastic as always, Liara thought with a smile. At times, Tali seemed even younger even than she was, relative to their lifespans at least.

"So, Tali... how'd the interviews go?" Ashley said, "Did all the boys swoon in the presence of such a famous adventurer?"

A splutter erupted from the quarian, which put teasing grins on all faces present. Liara couldn't help but join in with this, and felt a little guilty. Tali rubbed her hands together nervously.

"T-they just wanted to know how it felt to be the first quarian back in the Veil for hundreds of years," Tali stuttered, "I got a little flustered, and they all seemed to like that. Especially the asari."

"I bet they thought you were adorable," Kaidan said.

"Never let it be said that our dear Tali is anything other than adorable," Shepard intoned with false graveness. Tali seemed to be ready to boil over, the hand wringing increasing in speed. Liara opened her mouth to rescue the girl, but someone beat her to it.

"You are terrifying enough for that to be a real threat, Shepard," Garrus joked, "Careful what you wish for. We wouldn't want batarians hitting on her now, would we?"

"I'd imagine that would be unpleasant," Shepard conceded, her tone sharper than before. As it always got sharp when mention was made of the batarians. Liara forgave her that particular prejudice.

"It would be more unpleasant if a turian started in on it," Wrex said, the couch groaning slightly under his shifting weight.

"You're not a looker yourself, Wrex," Garrus replied, crossing his leg.

"I'll have you know that I was top ladies material back on Tuchanka..." Wrex said, "Not that it matters..."

Liara's skin tingled with the realisation that they were edging closer to the topic of why Wrex had to leave his homeworld, a dangerous topic even for Shepard. Worse, everyone else seemed to have came to the same conclusion too. Time to divert course.

"Garrus, I see your injuries have not damaged your sense of humour," she said, "How long until you are back in action?"

There was a barely audible breath of relief from Shepard, which let Liara knew she had done the right thing. Garrus stopped avoiding Wrex's glare and looked her way with a wide, thankful look in his eyes.

"Docs say another few weeks," Garrus replied, "Wish I could have been there when you went to the Veil, but I guess the biggest battle is yet to come."

Liara swallowed the lump in her throat, the one that formed with the reminder that she hadn't been there either. She nodded.

"Saren will indeed be a formidable opponent," she said, "Especially if he has access to Prothean or Reaper technologies that we have not seen yet."

"Is that possible?" Shepard asked.

"He has that ship," Liara replied, "It is certainly within the realms of high probability."

"Speaking of technology," Wrex interrupted, "Why didn't you go permanently cybernetic on that leg, turian? You'd have been ready for action almost immediately if you had."

Liara shook her head. Of course Wrex objected to not getting back into the action as soon as possible.

"Easy for you to say Wrex, all you need to do is grow another leg," Garrus joked, "Cybernetics skimp on sensation, and if I waited too long, I'd never be able to get a cloned limb working properly."

"You wanted your real leg?" Kaidan summarised, "Is that what you are saying?"

Even Liara found that strange. "I thought you were determined to catch Saren at any cost," she said.

"It's a combat thing," Garrus replied, "I don't think I would be as effective with a cybernetic, because it wouldn't really be a part of me. I need to be able to move naturally."

"What about you lieutenant?" Ashley asked, "You in the same boat?"

"I just need to be kept for observation," Kaidan replied, "Make sure everything healed up properly, that I take it easy. I have to be extra careful because I'm a biotic."

Liara looked them over. They did seem much better. Garrus had been almost dead, the last time they had been in the same room. "I hope you are both healthy enough to rejoin us soon," she said.

Kaidan smiled. "Thanks, Doctor," he said, "It means a lot."

"What about your mother?" Garrus asked, "Any word there?"

"None," Shepard replied, before Liara could, "That part of the hospital is locked up tight. The matriarchs won't even let us in any more, moved their commandos in two nights ago before we could react."

"So?" Wrex said, "Just walk through them."

Liara winced. "I don't think killing my people's soldiers would help matters, Wrex."

"If you want to see your parent, that's what you gotta do," Wrex replied, "Assuming Shepard can't pull strings with those Council idiots."

Shepard shook her head. The Commander had tried, promising Liara to ask hourly until they let them through the cordon. Liara had told her to try once. Tevos wouldn't budge, and she had the backing of the salarians on the matter. The turians didn't care. Not a chance. To her embarrassment, she had sobbed for an hour into Shepard's shoulder before regaining her senses. It was strange how much she missed her mother, even though Benezia wasn't dead.

The doors to the room opened again, letting Joker rush in. He seemed to be in a great hurry, which for him was taxing. He waited until the doors closed, before speaking.

"Heads up, General Bitch is coming!" he warned, hobbling slightly.

No one had time to ask who that was, before the doors opened again, revealing the diminutive form of Major-General Haider, black leather coat and all. A shiver of apprehension went down Liara's back at the sight.

"Shepard, have you heard the news?" Haider said with a smirk, "We're getting close."

"Why do you think we're all here?" Shepard replied, turning back to the screen.

"Well, turn the volume on," she said, "I just got beeped that it's being announced."

Shepard found the remote, giving Liara an eyeroll that almost sent her giggling, before complying with the spymaster's order. Haider was dead on, as the news anchor's speech became audible once more. It was a different one to the one that had been speaking, Liara noticed. A man with lighter skin in a more restrained suit was now the centre of attention.

"_We interrupt this programme to bring you breaking news from the Alliance Information Office_," the anchor said, "_Versailles Pact forces have declared victory in the Haestrom Cluster, bringing to an end all ..._"

A cheer went up from much of the Normandy crew, interrupting the broadcast.

Liara followed Shepard's grinning eyes as congratulations were had between the humans, with crew members moving from their seats elsewhere to crowd their Commander.

A moment of elation that was itself immediately interrupted by a loud, whirring alarm. The entire crew looked to the screen or their omnitools for an answer, but none was forthcoming. Fearing the worst, Liara moved to Shepard, the crew parting way to allow her to pass.

"What is that?" she asked.

Shepard shrugged, having no clue, but the woman beside her had turned pale, an effect exaggerated by the glow of her own omnitool screen.

"Benezia is awake," Haider said, "She's breached the first quarantine zone."

Liara's heart clenched, assaulted by images of her mother tearing her friends apart, but it gave her a sharp focus. If it came to confrontation, the humans would have to kill her mother. But there was a hope for her to end it all without bloodshed. Without a word, she burst into a sprint, the doors barely opening enough to allow her to pass, and down the corridor where troops were rushing to cover the exits.

She wouldn't let her mother kill anyone else.

* * *

The monitoring ward was a shambles.

The glass partitions and screens were shattered across every floor space, overhead lights flickered or hung limply from their mounts, empty carts and beds were flung to the sides. The bodies of Alliance soldiers slumped against the walls and closed doors. An eerie quiet had descended after about fifteen minutes of smashing and gunfire.

The patient rooms seemed to be untouched, to Shepard's great relief, but the silence was unnerving. She worried about what that meant for Liara, but more immediate concerns nudged their way to the front of her mind.

Crouching over the nearest body and slinging her rifle, she found that the man was still alive.

"Still alive?" Ashley asked quietly, peeking around the corner with her own weapon.

Shepard nodded, before standing up. "Anyone alive down here!" she shouted, "We need medical assistance!"

A door on the left side of the corridor opened and a salarian looked out, blinking rapidly.

"Ah, more humans!" he said, running out, "You have to stop them!"

"Stop who?" Shepard asked.

"The two asari!" the salarian replied, "I've never seen either of them before, so they must not be on our staff, but..."

"We know who they are," Ashley interrupted, a storm on her face, "Can you help our people?" She indicated to the unconscious soldier at their feet.

The salarian seemed to recoil, as if the question were absurd. "Of course," he said, "I'm a trauma monitoring specialist."

"Then leave the asari to us," said Ashley, "Round up a few more doctors and do your damn job." A flourishing wave of her rifle around the room had the salarian's eyes looking even larger, if such a thing were possible. He scurried off to do as he was told, just as more heads began appearing out of doors, to see what was going on.

Shepard gave Ashley a pat of approval on the back, before noting the arrival of Haider through the doorway. With her were Garrus and Tali, who had gone to get some armour, and Haider's bodyguards, armed and armoured to the teeth. Wrex and Kaidan had stayed behind to protect the crew.

"What's the word?" Shepard asked, taking her torso armour from Tali.

"They're in storage now," Haider replied, "She overpowered the three commandos stationed at her room, came through here and fought our people until her daughter showed up. Security feeds have them throwing dark energy around and making their way to the warehouse at the far end."

"Can Benezia get out of the hospital through there?" Ashley asked.

"There is an access stairwell," Garrus replied, as a matter-of-fact, "Caught some smugglers using the same route before, couple of years back."

"Which we have covered with two assault walkers and a heavy machinegun," Haider interjected, "I don't know what the matriarch is thinking, the whole set up is visible from above."

"I don't think she's thinking at all," Shepard said, "Not straight, any way."

"Yes, having Saren screw with your head will make you violent and irrational," said Ashley, moving forwards, "Let's not wait around to find out what is rattling around in her skull."

"Lead on, Chief," Shepard added, doing up the final clasp on her side.

* * *

The group followed, threading their way through the injured and their attendants, glass crunching under foot as they moved. They waited through a long decontamination cycle to get to the trauma ward, until they realised it had glitched, probably as a result of Liara overriding it to chase after her mother. Tali gave it a hack, and got the doors open again.

The section was even worse than the previous. Doctors and patients had been flung around like ragdolls, bloody splashes painting the floor and walls. The commandos, or what remained of them, were little more than heaps of meat in the shape of a humanoid, even their clothing torn up by warpfire.

"God..." Ashley said, bringing her wrist up to cover her nose, "What a bloodbath."

"You'd think commandos would be able to handle one matriarch," Shepard remarked, "But this..."

"Actually, not all commandos are biotic specialists," Garrus said, "Most are highly skilled at one aspect of combat, to the point that anyone else looks like amateurs."

The turian picked up a weapon off the floor, more or less intact.

"These seem to have been suppression specialists," he said, "But that doesn't make any sense, not if their job was to keep Benezia in as well as keep anyone else out."

"Do you think Liara could face her mother and live?" Tali asked, clearly worried.

Shepard bit her lip, not sure what to say. It was a question that was beginning to worry her as well. The most knowledgeable person present could not help but expand on the topic, which didn't help matters.

"They're both very powerful biotics, even for asari," Haider said, "Benezia should win out, she has the benefit of age and experience... but she's just woken up from a severe injury..."

"Hey, didn't we get some anti-biotic serum from Cerberus?" Garrus asked, "You didn't use it?"

Haider cursed under her breath in German, not loud enough for the translators to pick up. Shepard didn't speak that language, but it wasn't hard to get the gist of the insults being thrown.

"The Asari Republics refused to allow us to use it," the Major-General replied, "It permanently weakens biotics, they said it was tantamount to mutilation."

Shepard recognised Haider's tone. It said that she would have used the serum any way, or even before the asari government could have found out, but it hadn't been her decision. A position the Commander herself couldn't help but sympathise with, especially now that everyone else had been put in danger. Not least Liara.

Ashley glanced at the bodies. "Their commandos paid the cost," she said.

"Perhaps that was the point," Haider replied.

Shepard looked at the General, finding a pensive look on her face as she stood watching one of the corpses. "What does _that_ mean?" the Commander asked.

The smashing of metal and rumble of concrete echoed through the hospital, turning all heads towards the source; the far end of the hallway.

"We'll find out," Haider said, before pulling a shotgun out from under her coat.

* * *

Shepard creeped along the balcony of loading bay, rifle raised, the scene below just visible to her over the edge. The windows of the hospital continued along the balcony level, allowing the 'natural' light from the Presidium to flood in, but the lower sections were closed off entirely. The ghosts of neat rows of grey shipping crates lay scattered in patterns, the bottom ones remaining more or less in place, the rest thrown and smashed into irregular and jagged mounds.

Atop such a structure near the hospital-side entrance stood Liara, panting heavily, her pistol in her hand. Shepard felt weak for a moment with the relief that she was more or less unharmed. All the worse in that there was no way to speak to Liara without giving away the game. An effect that was short lived, as self-control reasserted itself quickly.

The absence of Benezia in any place she could see snapped Shepard back to concentrating on the task at hand. She glanced at Ashley and Garrus, whom had began sweeping their own rifle sights over the jumble of metal boxes below. Both gave small shakes of the head. They couldn't see Benezia either.

Cursing to herself in a manner that made Haider's previous efforts seem tame, she activated her comms.

"Major-General, do you have eyes on the matriarch?" Shepard whispered, "We have no eyes up here."

"The security feeds are dead, Commander," Haider replied, "In fact, something is wrong with the doors. Some sort of lockdown, an anti-theft measure. Ambassador Zorah is currently hacking the system."

"I'm not an Ambassador!" Tali complained in the background, followed by a counter-complaint by Haider that she didn't care.

Shepard groaned slightly. Of course there was a lockdown. C-Sec's natural inclination to any particular threat was to deal with it in as ham-fisted a manner as possible. "Minimise personnel needs, maximise blunt automated responses" was how Garrus once put it to her in the mess of the Normandy at breakfast. No doubt Benezia had triggered it when attempting to open the main doors without authorisation.

Liara suddenly flinched, and flared her biotics. With a wave of both hands, a crate the size of a car flew from a corner into the middle of the space, landing with ear-splitting screeches of metal-on-metal and barrelling through its fellows. In its path, a flash of purple-blue moved away.

"Contact," Ashley whispered, "Far corner, I think."

Shepard nodded, and began moving as quickly as stealth allowed to get a bead on that location, her fellow shooters with her. It helped that the target began to get chatty.

"You have grown aggressive beyond my wildest expectations, Liara," Benezia said, her voice carrying through the space.

"And you have done something unspeakably evil, mother!" Liara replied, before letting a few shots from her pistol loose in the approximate direction of her mother's voice. Shepard saw no further movement. The matriarch was far too smart to be drawn out by that.

"It is the human that has done this to you, is it not?" Benezia taunted, "You have melded with her."

"You say that as if I have committed some grave error," Liara said, jumping to the next debris pile, "Saren is far more of a monster than Shepard could ever be."

"So we both melded with monsters," Benezia snapped, "Even I have heard the stories. Does her bloodlust excite you? Do you thirst for it?"

Liara remained silent, but her face told what she thought of that. There was certainty there, that she had changed. Whether or not it was welcome, Shepard could not tell, but that was something for later. She was almost to the end of the balcony, where there was a stairway down.

Benezia did not wait. A half dozen containers burst forth from where the voice had emanated, flung like buckshot. The mother dearly wished to kill her daughter. Liara barely had time to throw up a barrier of her own, before three containers crashed about where she was standing. Her figure disappeared underneath the metal.

Shepard felt the cold anger in her stomach. She feared the worst, yet still needed desperately to protect. She placed her crosshairs on the matriarch, now standing triumphantly in the open.

Ashley and Garrus opened fire at the same time, joining Shepard's semi-automatic fire with the automatic stream of an Avenger and the heavy shot of a Mantis respectively.

Benezia protected herself, a biotic bubble raising around her for a moment, but Haider had been right. She had just fought a serious and protracted battle while recovering from an injury. Her barrier did not last long against the pinpoint accuracy of the Normandy's best shooters, the loud pinging of their shots' ricochets stopping. Wet purple wounds sprouted, and the matriarch fell backwards out of view.

"Liara!" Shepard shouted, sprinting down the stairs. She climbed the crates like a woman possessed, slipping on spilled meds and plasma, clawing her way to the top. Removing the debris was difficult, near impossible without biotics, but she didn't care, straining her muscles to move it.

A crate moved itself, the tell-tale purple glow lifting it away, and Liara emerged, bruised and shaking. The asari's head dropped. "Shepard," she said, "I couldn't stop her."

The sight sent Shepard's heart clenching. She refused to let Liara blame herself.

"You didn't have to do it alone," the Commander said, drawing her near.

"...Is she dead?" Liara asked, returning the embrace.

"I don't know," Shepard replied.

The comms were still open. "Benezia's still breathing," Ashley said, "Wounds to both legs and her arm. Applying medigel."

"Good," Haider cut in, assuming that the report was meant for her, "We're almost through the doors. Keep her alive."

"Copy," Ashley said.

Garrus approached, and together with him, Shepard helped Liara over the tossed crates and containers to her mother.

The Commander couldn't help but grimace at the sight of the woman. It was easy to tell what exactly had happened. Asari are taught essentially from birth to minimise strain and protect vital organs in the event of their barriers being overwhelmed. It was the reason why Alliance protocol on fighting commandos dictated the targeting of limbs and the lower torso; biotic barriers were reined in to protect the chest and head by instinct.

Benezia's left leg had a huge ragged hole in the side of it, filled with medigel. That was Garrus' shot. Her right had several through-and-through penetrations. That was Shepard's own work. Her left arm had long cuts along the exposed skin, Ashley's assault rifle doing the job there. Worse, she was still conscious, her head turning about and her eyes unfocused, but very much still awake.

Liara's reaction was far less clinical. She knelt down beside her mother and took the uninjured hand, as Ashley worked to keep the matriarch alive. That seemed to still Benezia's movement.

Shepard put her hand on Liara's shoulder and squeezed lightly. It was a terrible thing to have to watch such a scene. She was at a loss as to how she could do anything else to help. Ashley's calm and collected work seemed positively heroic, all of a sudden.

The doors beeped loudly, drawing the attention of all but the Chief.

Both sets opened at once, from the hospital side, the view to which was blocked by mangled and piled metal, and the street side, which was not only visible but close by. Figures began moving in, weapons raised.

"Zorah got the doors open," Haider said over the comms, "We're coming in."

"We have company," Shepard said.

What the Major-General began saying didn't register, as Shepard was confronted by no less than twenty asari commandos. They spread out, biotically-assisted jumps letting them surround her crew in no time at all.

Out of sheer force of habit, she stood up at once and reached for her weapon. The commandos didn't appreciate the gesture, and almost all of their gun barrels turned to train on her.

Realising the mistake, Shepard raised her hands slowly. "Alright, you got me," she said, "We surrender."

"We're not here for you," replied a deep voice.

Through the outer doors stepped another person.

Another matriarch, dressed in a long Thessian robe but carrying a pistol. She walked with haste to the group, the commandos standing down as she did so. Shepard took a step back and straightened up. The newcomer was someone important, and a faux-pas at this critical stage of the war wasn't on her to-do list. Liara joined her, taking her hand, equally worried about the arrival.

"General Aethyta T'saza," the commandos' leader said, "Asari Intelligence."

"Commander Shepard," replied Shepard, "Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance."

"I know," Aethyta replied, "T'jura, take over from Williams."

A commando nodded, stowed her shotgun, and stepped toward Benezia's broken body. Ashley glanced to Shepard, her eyes asking if she should comply. Shepard gave a small nod, allowing the commando to take up the Chief's position.

Curiously, Aethyta herself joined the commando at the other side, kneeling over.

"You..." Benezia rasped, the painkillers clearly affecting her, "How are you here?"

"Reinstated," Aethyta replied, "Your mess got the other blue bitches thinking my way."

"So in the end, you watch me fall," Benezia breathed, closing her eyes, "How ironic."

"The universe does that," Aethyta said, with a glance towards Liara and Shepard, "But you aren't falling. Not yet."

"You know her?" Liara asked.

Aethyta froze for a second, before rising with a sigh. The sharp eyes that the matriarch had walked in with softened as they regarded Liara, though they narrowed a little as the gaze turned to Shepard. The Commander couldn't get a read on it. It was plainly strange behaviour to her.

"I know her very well," said Aethyta, "Well enough not to be surprised that she took up with Saren."

"And why is that?" came Haider's voice from behind, "I'm intrigued."

Shepard looked over her shoulder, and found the Major-General making her way forwards at a casual pace, Tali and her bodyguards moving more cautiously as the commandos covered them. Evidently, Haider was not so worried about a diplomatic incident.

Aethyta rolled her eyes, and put her free hand on her hip. "Not your business," she said, "Consider this your official notification. We're taking Benezia T'soni to Thessia. Your incompetence in holding her here is obvious."

"It was your commandos doing the guarding," Haider shot back with maximum venom, "But of course, that was the point, wasn't it? Compromise our security through your demands, so you could take the matriarch out of our grasp."

Aethyta shrugged, waving her hand in the air. "Doesn't matter," she said, "Tevos was informed of the escape immediately, and won't take no for an answer."

"But we haven't even got anything out of Benezia yet!" Garrus interrupted, very much not pleased.

"Officer Vakarian is right," Shepard said, weighing in to support him, "We let you take her, we don't find Saren."

"She's going to be questioned when she gets to Thessia," Aethyta said, "We'll be sure to pass on any information." Or so she said. Shepard clearly detected the tone of someone who was speaking a platitude. Aethyta struck her as someone who wanted a chance at getting Saren herself.

Liara let go of Shepard's hand, and squared up to Aethyta, who was a little shorter but thoroughly failing to be intimidated.

"Not good enough," Liara growled, tears streaming down her face, "I am going to tear Saren _to pieces_ for what he made my mother become. I do not know what your interest is in this, but I shall not let you leave with her."

Aethyta stared at Liara for a moment, sparing Shepard a glance, before speaking.

"You're all grown up, kid," she said finally, "But orders are orders. If you won't let me take her, I have to use force."

The commandos jerked their weapons up once more. Haider's personal guard did the same, moving in front to shield her with their bodies. Shepard's jaw tightened. The commandos had them all dead to rights. The air seemed heavier.

Benezia went into a fit of coughing, doubling over for a moment before sitting up, letting out a scream of pain as she moved. Hyperventilating, the matriarch looked at Liara and Aethyta with something approaching concern.

"Don't fight … I could not..." she said, with much greater clarity than before, "Virmire. Saren is on Virmire." She seemed to tilt her head in confusion, like she hadn't meant to say anything at all, before her eyes rolled back and she collapsed into the arms of the commando attending her once more.

Aethyta and Liara stood statue still, speechless.

"Eh, what just happened?" Shepard asked.

Haider crept out from behind her guards and looked at the matriarch closely. Benezia appeared to be having mild convulsions, until her attendant put her to sleep. "I think I know, but that just raises more questions," she said, glancing between Liara and Aethyta.

"Satisfied?" Aethyta snapped, with a ferocity that was out of place for a stranger.

"Very," Haider replied cheerily, "You can have her now, if you'd like. Make sure to run brain scans and send us the results."

Shepard frowned. No doubt even if the asari had chosen to hold onto the goods, Haider would have the information through her sources eventually. Indoctrination was a big deal to the DID. They were sparing neither hearts nor purses to get anything on it.

"That's it?" Aethyta said, "What will you do?"

Haider hummed to herself, ignoring the question and activating her omnitool. "Stevens, get me Rear-Admirals Shepard and Anderson please," she said into it, "I need a naval combat group. We have Saren's location."

* * *

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story will be getting a two week spate of updates. I had hoped to see it completed by November 12__th__, in time for its two year anniversary, but some things got in the way. Regardless, I will work on this story alone until that time, and we'll see how far we get. Pretty far, I hope._


	38. Chapter 31: Red Dawn

**Chapter 31: Red Dawn**

Tali felt her body strain against the restraints, the bumping and jolting of the gunship throwing her about in her seat. She clung to one of the straps with her spare hand, trying to steady herself. It wasn't normally a sensation that bothered her, but she was trying to concentrate on the screen of her omnitool, its own stabilisation capability overwhelmed by the sharp movements.

The screen was filled with tactical data, about what was going on in orbit and on the planet. Normally, Tali would have ignored it, thinking about her own role and steadying herself for the fight to come. Before the events that had brought her to the Citadel, she had never been in a serious fight. Now she found herself not only fighting, but in true combat, and on a regular basis too. She had approached every moment of that sort by detaching herself from the possibility of defeat, and drew strength from her friends.

As the gunship proceeded into the atmosphere of Virmire, there was an obstacle to Tali putting on her mind's battle mask.

The passenger section was filled out mostly by the Normandy's ground team, minus the still-recovering Garrus and Kaidan. Shepard and Liara were at the back, right at the doors, Ashley and Wrex after them. The first seat was taken by Major-General Haider, who was also busying herself with the data. Seeing her coolly observing the progress of her plan was what had given Tali the idea in the first place. Haider's two heavily armoured guards sat at the front with her, quietly speaking to themselves in a language that was slow to translate.

But it was the woman in the seat opposite her that made Tali's skin crawl.

The stare was bad enough, but the person wearing it was utterly terrifying. Piercing dark brown eyes looked out from a round face, her head shaved bald. Every visible part of her skin was tattooed, and there was no shortage of it. From the waist upwards, she wore nothing more than black kinetic barrier plates attached to straps for the most part. Leather holsters for two pistols hung from the same straps, one under each arm.

Asari script of some obscure type was tattooed around her head like a crown, with the symbol of the Alliance below it on one side and a bizarre double-headed black bird of prey on the other. On her neck were two black bars with yellow stars on them, the rank insignia of a lieutenant. Beyond that, colours and symbols of a huge variety, stretching from neck over her chest to the belly.

It had been nearly half an hour, and the half-naked tattooed lieutenant hadn't said a word. Just stared.

Tali hadn't dared look back since boarding. Determined to drown out the sensation of being watched constantly, she turned on the live audio feed and closed her eyes, leaning back into the seat to listen, letting out a sigh.

"Hey, bucket!" came a growl, "Turn that shit off."

Tali's eyes opened, to find a finger pointed in the direction of her wrist, the previously expressionless face of the woman opposite curled ever so slightly with anger. But that wasn't all.

"Bucket?" Tali asked meekly, "What?"

"Yeah, I am speaking to you, _bucket_," the woman continued, "Turn off the noise. The babbling is making my head hurt." Her hand went from pointing to an open palm, and biotic flares danced across the surface for a moment.

"Ehh... okay," said Tali, rushing to comply. A thin grin spread over the woman's face, her arms crossing as she relaxed, closing her own eyes and pretending to sleep. What a bitch, the young quarian could not help thinking.

Shepard stood up, and walked uneasily towards them. She nudged the woman, not sparing any force, and was met with a scowl. One that softened greatly as recognition of who had just done the nudging set in, but didn't quite disappear as expected.

"Your name, rank and unit... soldier?" Shepard said, her tone ice cold.

"Jennifer Haider," the woman replied, mustering more than a little defiance to do so, "Lieutenant, _Fallschirmjägertruppe_, First Legion."

Tali could almost feel the pause that Shepard ran into as she heard the name. No wonder the woman hadn't backed down entirely, she was an elite soldier with a general for a relative. Both Tali and Shepard looked to the elder Haider simultaneously, along with every other person present.

The Commander thumbed over her shoulder. "Your cousin always this big of an asshole?" she asked the Major-General.

"She's not my cousin," replied Haider, "She's my daughter. And yes, she is always this big of an asshole."

The lieutenant snorted her amusement, which set Tali's teeth on edge. Luckily, Shepard's famous frown made its appearance. "She's ten years younger than you at the most," she said.

Tali hadn't understood, her experience with the ages of humans was too limited, but even to her, it did seem that the two Haiders were closer in age than they should have been. Tali had just put that down to the elder one aging like a turian; very well.

"Adoptive daughter," Haider said, clarifying their exact relationship. Shepard sat down, shaking her head. The point had been made, and the shaking of the gunship was lessening. There wasn't time to argue.

"Mama does like to take in strays," said Jennifer, rubbing a hand over her scalp.

"Lieutenant, play nice," warned Haider, "We're closing in on the turian bastard himself. It should be fun."

"Yeah, a real barrel of laughs," Jennifer complained, waving a hand at Tali, "Just worried about the quality of the people watching my back. Never saw a quarian that could stand their ground, unless it was in a ship." Tali's eyes narrowed at the woman, expressing her displeasure in no uncertain terms. She got a rude human gesture in return.

A ferocious grumble erupted from Wrex, sending both Tali and Jennifer jumping slightly.

"Shows what you know," he said, "Tali here doesn't just kill geth, she hacks them and sets them killing each other, then blows the survivors away with that shotgun. Works pretty good with breathing enemies too."

The lieutenant actually flinched, to Tali's delight. "Uh, okay," Jennifer said, before turning back to the quarian herself, "Fuck it, guess you're alright if the krogan is saying so."

"Thanks..." said Tali, failing to rein in her sarcasm and setting Ashley to giggling.

"Wise decision," Wrex sniffed, very much satisfied.

"Two minutes until we hit the landing zone," Haider declared, eager to change the subject, "T'soni, Wrex and Jennifer will run biotic suppression. Shepard, Williams, Zorah, you'll stick with me to provide the fire support. Shouldn't be too long before the armour shows up and we're moving forwards."

"Any reason why we didn't just drop from the Normandy?" Ashley asked, "Open the doors for everyone else?"

"Yeah, the geth would shoot you out of the sky," Haider replied flatly, "Your fancy stealth ship isn't invisible. Just because I don't tell you the details doesn't mean my decisions are bad."

"Yes, ma'am," Ashley replied quickly. Tali knew that the Chief was not one to forego respect for rank, but she was biting back some criticism.

Lighting in the passenger cabin went from white to yellow, indicating that the landing zone was just seconds away. Everyone stood up and turned towards the rear doors, readying to storm out of them.

"Here we go," Tali thought aloud, pulling her shotgun off of the small of her back. She gripped it tight, and activated her advanced kinetic barriers.

"Hell yeah," Jennifer said, her pistols in hand.

To her surprise, the calm Tali had been searching for arrived, just as the lights turned green and the doors opened. She wasted no time in following Shepard, charging out as fast as she could to the battle to come.

* * *

Shepard had to admit no matter how badly Lieutenant Jennifer Haider needed her mouth washed out with soap, the biotic was utterly devastating in a fight. Virmire was a beautiful world, at least where the battle had joined, filled with long sandy beaches and large coral outcroppings that sheltered island chains. The air was fresh, and a strong breeze came off the sea constantly. From her position atop one of the outcroppings, she had a great view of the utter carnage being wrought below.

The airborne troops had hit the landing zone and in a matter of minutes were confronted with hundreds of geth.

The tattooed biotic didn't hesitate a single moment. Entire clumps of geth troop units disappeared, shredded by shockwaves that tumbled them like bowling pins. Liara's own singularities were regularly 'detonated' just as soon as the lieutenant was sure they had trapped as many geth as possible. She was equally capable with her pistols, wielding them together with the aid of aiming VIs, using her natural abilities to dart about to use them for maximum effect. Even Wrex was having a hard time keeping up with her.

The Major-General looked on from beside Shepard with utterly inappropriate pride.

In the end, the first wave was repelled with ease, but then, there had been no heavy geth mechs to deal with, only a couple of armatures that ended up flipped on their backs courtesy of the joint efforts of Liara and Jennifer, allowing easy follow up shots from Ashley's RAM-rifle. To the exasperation of the Commander, the lieutenant and the archaeologist appeared to be getting along as they wandered back to the Alliance perimeter to rest.

Haider Junior was most likely the most powerful human biotic alive, Shepard realised. Kaidan was in the top five if her own superiors were to be believed, but Jennifer was on an entirely different level. This raised two very good questions for Haider Senior to answer.

"Who _the hell_ is she?" Shepard asked, "And why haven't _I_ heard of her?"

"Is that an element of admiration I hear?" Haider replied. An obvious deflection.

"Yes, she's very good at killing geth," Shepard said slowly, "Please don't make me ask the questions again. Is she some sort of experiment your scientists cooked up on Mars?"

Haider paused, examining Shepard. Trying to decide something, perhaps? The Commander could not be sure.

"Very well... I suppose you are one of the few people who might understand," Haider said at last, "In the Terminus Systems, Jennifer is known as Jack."

That name was much more familiar, and with the name, the rest of the pieces fell into place. The attitude, the tattoos, the reputation for biotic power.

"Jack? As in Jacqueline Nought?!" Shepard said, "The pirate?!"

"The same," Haider said airily, "Your krogan recognised her as soon as he saw her too, I am actually quite surprised he kept his mouth shut."

"Jack, the pirate who spent a month running riot on Illium, is your daughter?" Shepard asked, "How did she get a commission with the Alliance?"

"I adopted her when she was sixteen," Haider replied, "At eighteen, she failed basic training.. Went off on her own after that, with infamous results. Came back after Eden Prime... we kept in contact, and she knew that I would need her for this war."

"So you got her a commission to fight," Shepard said, completing the story. Even the Alliance was not exempt from the usual corruptions, however successful it might be. Nepotism was still an issue. The Commander suddenly found herself incapable of being surprised any longer.

"It's quite possibly the best thing that has ever happened to her," said Haider, rubbing her neck, "She didn't fail basic training because she couldn't take orders, she failed because it was too easy for her and she got frustrated. 'Kiddy wheel bullshit' was how she put it before she left. Wasn't too hard to convince Field Marshal DeRuyter to give her a commission once her capabilities were made more obvious."

"I don't believe it," Shepard said, hand over her face.

"You ought to," Haider replied, "Jennifer's birth parents lived on Eden Prime."

"Lived?" Shepard asked, "Past tense?"

"Dead," Haider confirmed, "Killed during the first geth invasion, less than five kilometres from the main Prothean dig site. Not that Jennifer cared all that much about them, they refused to take her back after I... never mind. She wouldn't like me telling the story without her permission."

"Just do me a favour," Shepard said, "Don't call her Jennifer... it's too weird to think of Jack the _Psychotic Biotic_ as someone with a mother."

"You're the Angel of Death, Shepard," Haider replied, "You have a mother."

"Yeah, but she's an admiral," Shepard said.

"And I'm a general," Haider continued, "And while I may not have given birth to Jennifer, I think no differently about her than your own mother does about you."

As if to place emphasis on the matter, a squadron of fighters buzzed the rock, on their way to bomb the GARDIAN batteries ahead. Shepard couldn't help but think that they were more than likely from the _Athena_, sent by her own mother.

The Commander gave up.

"You're a strange person," Shepard said finally.

"I'm different," Haider replied, "If not superior."

"Think much of yourself, don't you?" said Shepard flatly.

"There aren't many who would take in an abused biotic," Haider snapped, "Never mind chasing down the basta... There I go again, almost talking about things I shouldn't."

"That's alright," Shepard said, "I often do things I shouldn't."

The low rumble of tank treads and the engines driving them crept into the air. Shepard stood up and looked to the south, bringing up her binos to get a better look. The reinforcements had come. Two columns of heavy armour were making their way over the shallow reefs and over sandbars, the strange orange-red camouflage a sharp contrast to the bright sand and blue of the ocean. Around them, the black forms of the gunships returning, skimming off the water, mere feet from the surface. Strange crabs that seemed taller than a person scurried out of the way into deeper waters.

Shepard briefly a sigh of relief. The geth hadn't been able to attack again before the reinforcements had arrived. The push against the complex that could only be Saren's facility could begin. With that worry removed from her mind, the Commander mused to herself about how the crab creatures might taste.

"I can't believe after all of it, we're finally here," she said.

"A lot has happened," Haider conceded, "And humanity's place is stronger than ever. We ought to thank Saren for that, before we execute him."

A quiet descended on them both. Nothing more needed to be said.

The fateful moment was close enough to taste.

* * *

Another jaunt in the gunships took them to the edge of Saren's compound, the GARDIAN batteries proving no match for the mix of low flying fighters and heavy tanks. The outer fortresses, disguised seemingly as would-be tourist resorts, fell easily. The inner fortifications were much more capable, and the tanks were soon duelling with geth colossi. Haider had the gunships hold off, using their missiles from outside the range of the geth ground units.

Shepard watched the action via the hologram, fidgeting with her rifle. She disapproved of the decision to hold back, and she wasn't alone. Wrex, Ashley, even Liara seemed on edge. The krogan let out a grunt of frustration every few minutes. The Chief's face wore a perpetual scowl pointed at no one in particular. Liara kept flexing her right hand open and close, with a pensive look at the floor. Only Tali and 'Jennifer' seemed to be at ease, the former examining something on her omnitool, the latter seeming to get some shut-eye. They had been in the air another hour.

With nothing better to do, Shepard slid over to Liara.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, "Still thinking about your mom? She's probably in the best hands to keep her alive now, right?"

"I know," Liara replied, closing her fist and keeping it that way, "I keep thinking about Saren. Where he is, what he will say when we finally catch up to him... how I am going to make him suffer for putting my mother through this, and for all those he has killed..."

Liara's blue eyes looked up from the floor and at Shepard. "Have I really changed that much?" she asked.

Her cooperation with the violent biotic lieutenant must have sparked some introspection, Shepard thought. "If you have changed, it was out of necessity," she replied, putting her hand on Liara's fist, "It doesn't change who you really are. Trust me, I know." A lesson she had to be taught herself after Torfan, by Anderson.

Liara smiled, her hand turning to take Shepard's own. "How do you always know what to say?" she asked.

"To be honest," Shepard grinned back, "I just go with the flow."

A buzzing came from behind, getting the attention of all present. The fuzzy static seemed to be threaded with a voice of some kind, the volume varying wildly with each syllable trying to be spoken.

"Shepard, I'm getting something here," Tali said, "Some sort of transmission, but it's very weak. Do you recognise it?"

Haider strode down beside the young quarian, and moved Tali's arm to get a better look at the pattern of the transmission. She was quiet for a moment as her eyes lingered on it. A dark shadow fell on her face, which actually managed to send a shiver down Shepard's spine. No mean feat.

"Jennifer, come take a look at this," she said, "You see what I see?"

Haider Junior leaned over, took one look at the pattern and another at her mother.

"Fucking salarians," Jennifer said, leaning back into her seat again, "Same pattern as Ontarom."

Haider nodded, and turned to Shepard. "Commander, there's an STG unit nearby," she stated, "We need to intercept them."

Shepard's eyebrow raised. The salarian government could only have sent a team less than twenty four hours beforehand, during the time the Alliance was gathering the Fifth Fleet. The Council had designated her to chase Saren, it made no sense that the salarians would send a team themselves. They had no reason to act independently that she knew of. Something was up.

"Tali, can you trace the origin of that signal?" she asked.

"I already have," Tali replied, "It's coming from nearby one of the perimeter walls, the orbital feed shows temporary structures have been set up nearby."

"Definitely sounds like salarians," Wrex said, throwing in his two credits.

"Sounds like they're in trouble," Ashley countered, as the voice seemed to grow more desperate.

"Zorah, send the coordinates to the pilot," Haider commanded, "We're going in."

* * *

The touchdown of the gunship was rough, sending everyone stumbling as the exit doors opened once more, but it didn't stop Shepard from stepping out onto the sand below. Particles blew about under the force of the gunship's thrusters, nearly blinding her as she ran out. Whistling in the air and the pings of shots deflecting off kinetic barriers sent her sprinting into the nearest rock, leading the way for the others.

The impact of the black rock against her armour jarred, but she was no longer being shot at. Liara and Haider Junior joined her seconds later. Ashley, Tali and Wrex bolted to the shadow of the next rock over, joined by Haider Senior and her two heavies.

Further along the bow-shaped beach, the paratroopers were under fire, but were making it to cover. Beyond that, not much could be seen in the swirling dust and water vapour. Glad to see her own crew had made it in one piece, Shepard gave an okay hand signal to them. Ashley flashed one back, sticking out her hand, just in time for it nearly be taken off.

A blue plasma bolt flew through the gap in cover, and impacted the gunship as it began to lift off again. The kinetic barriers, already strained to breaking point by the suppressing fire, failed entirely. The tail section took the bolt right in the intersection of the fins, the metal glowing bright orange as it disintegrated. Shepard winced, feeling as if the whole thing would flip onto her position and explode.

Instead, the gunship bucked forward and landed roughly in the shallow water, the jets spewing a huge cloud of steam. Another bolt followed up, but only managed to turn the sand where the gunship had landed previously into glowing glass. The gunship pilot and gunner bailed out into the sea, and desperately swam out of the firing zone.

"We're not getting off this beach," Shepard said, aiming the statement at Haider, "I take it we couldn't land any closer than this?"

Haider shook her head. "Their main AA battery is too well protected," she said, "The beach is sheltered by the rock. Besides, landing among all the heavy mechs would have been suicide even if we weren't shot down."

"We should have just hit the whole place from orbit," Wrex grumbled.

"Would have been easier," Tali added weakly, sheltering behind the krogan and leaning on him with her arm.

"Not an option," Haider responded, "We're only going to know Saren is dead when we have his corpse lying in front of us, and if we get him alive, all the better."

Shepard looked to Liara, and in the newly found steel in her eyes saw exactly what her lover thought of that. Taking Saren alive wasn't going to happen while Liara breathed.

No one to blame, in that case. The shooting on both sides seemed to be calming down. The gunships had dusted off and the heavier guns had followed their flight paths, and the infantry they had carried were in cover. They weren't going to put so much as a single foot out in front of the plasma, that much was obvious. Knowing she wasn't going to like what she would see, Shepard took a knee by the edge of the rock and peered around.

It was all bad news. There was at least two dozen colossus units parked in niches of the tall coral and rock formations, well protected on all sides and guarding all the conceivable exits. In front of that, geth platforms were advancing in squads, shooting as they advanced and intent on throwing the Alliance assault back into the sea.

Shepard felt the familiar feeling wash over her, the feeling that she first experienced on Anhur, the one that kept her alive through Torfan, Eden Prime and beyond. The battle lust. She pulled her head back from sight, and sat down against the rock. It was time to do what she did best; risk her life in service of others.

Liara reached over and touched her arm, eyes ablaze. A smile spread over Shepard's lips, as she realised that Liara felt it too. The dance with death.

"What the fuck are you two _doing_?" Jennifer asked, "Look at the fucking tinheads right there coming to kill us, pay attention!"

The lieutenant hit the back of Shepard's helmet, as if to wake her, but it didn't dampen the fire in her belly one bit. She slapped Liara's shoulder playfully, and turned around back towards the rock where the others were sheltering.

"Haider," Shepard said, sticking a thumb over her shoulder, "I'm going up."

"You have a plan," Haider replied flatly, like she didn't believe it.

The Commander slapped her equipment belt and nodded. The Major-General got the message immediately, and shook her head.

"..You'll be totally exposed," Haider replied, "Not just from the two legged ones either, the crab tanks and maybe even their AA..."

"They'll be totally exposed too," said Shepard, stowing her rifle, "I'm an N7, let me do my job."

Haider cursed again, this time loudly enough for the translators to pick it up. "You need cover," she said, "The gunships won't be able to help you."

"What I need," Shepard corrected, "...is a distraction." With the idea out there, Shepard could almost hear the click of Haider's mind. She was asking permission of a mother, for her daughter to do something very very stupid.

"Jennifer," Haider said.

Lucky for Shepard, the daughter seemed to have a death wish.

"Gotchya," Jennifer replied, flicking the safeties off her pistol with her thumbs.

"Miss T'soni, you'll pair off with her," Haider ordered, brooking no disagreement, "Zorah, your job is hacking. Williams and Wrex, demolition."

A chorus of affirmatives echoed over the comms, and Haider began speaking over her command channel, organising the second part of the necessary distraction.

There wasn't any time to waste. The geth troops were practically on top of them.

"Ready?" Shepard asked the two biotics by her side.

"Absolutely," Liara said.

"What she said," said Jennifer, "Hurry the hell up."

With that, Shepard got ready to run. It was a little distance to the nearest rock large enough for her purposes. She would have to run through the open. All part of the job.

"3.. 2.. 1.." she said, "Go!"

Jennifer launched herself biotically into the air and forwards, over the rock and straight into the middle of the geth troops, pistols shooting as she landed. Liara followed seconds later, rounding the cover and throwing up a singularity. Needless to say, the madwoman in their ranks and the asari throwing dark energy around like candy got the undivided attention of the synthetics quickly.

Shepard saw her chance, took a breath, and bolted. It was about forty paces to the next, much larger rock in the open. She covered it easily, and jumped on the last step to grab a handhold she had spotted from the other side. Hauling herself up and tucking her feet onto the stone face was easy, the sea had eroded it into a pockmarked pattern.

The Commander climbed ever higher, her heartbeat rising in volume inside her helmet. The sounds of shooting and shouting grew. The others had joined the firefight, the danger to them increased, as did the chance of being discovered. The rock was more dry the further up she moved, which allowed her to move more quickly.

Another plasma bolt slammed into the rock above her head, showering her with black shards of stone. She halted, unable to move, fearing the structure had been broken and she would fall. The sensation did not come, and she looked around. The colossus that had fired was charging up to shoot once more.

Haider must have seen it too, because as one, the rest of the humans on the beach rose and fired point blank into the masses of geth moving to intercept the weaving forms of Liara and Jennifer. Their collective roar was eerily like that of an ocean storm, a poetic thing to notice that Shepard had little time to contemplate.

The colossus twitched, swinging its head towards the new threat, and changing its mind again.

Shepard felt fear cut into her gut. The thing still viewed her as the primary threat. She looked up, and found that the first shot had cleared the way to the top. Panting, she scrambled up the last part of cliff and rolled to relative safety.

A second later, the side of the entire rock she had climbed on sheered off under the next plasma impact, the cut mere centimetres from where she lay. The debris fell into the foam below with light splashes, and the scent of burning rock overwhelmed. Unspeakable relief flooding her brain, she controlled her breathing, to continue with the task.

She was in position, the colossus could no longer see her. And she could see everything.

The grey and white metal of what could only be Saren's base of operations rose out of the lush surroundings, concentric walls surrounding it like a castle of old. The dragon waiting to be slayed within. Below the defences however, another battle raged. The strobing flashes reported a heavy firefight, even if the sounds could not be discerned over the one raging just below. Shepard brought up her binoculars.

It was the salarians on one side, of course, but the opponent they were fighting... Shepard couldn't believe her eyes. Masses of krogan charged the STG's lines, repulsed by grenades and explosives. The salarians were holding, for now, but she could see where the line would buckle already. She flipped to her Navy channel without delay.

"Fifth Fleet Fire Control," Shepard said, flipping the switch on her binoculars, "This is Verdun. Request orbital bombardment by laser designation."

"_Verdun, this is Athena XO,_" Commander Corrigan replied, "_Orbital bombardment authorised. Request target coordinates._"

Shepard brought her binoculars to her eyes once more, and one-by-one, gathered the coordinates of the colossi. The walking plasma cannons were preoccupied with trying to shoot the Alliance strike force without hitting their own, a task that was difficult given that the two had merged and were now fighting a desperate close-in battle. Something she would have to do something about.

"Sending target coordinates," Shepard said, slapping the button on her omnitool.

"_Coordinates received,"_ Corrigan replied, "_Cruiser Louisbourg firing in thirty seconds._"

Her job complete, Shepard began the next one, flipping her rifle off her back and into her hands once more. It wasn't hard to find Liara and Jennifer's place in the chaos below, and to her surprise, Ashley had joined them. She switched back to her squad channel, and began to fire on the geth.

"The bombardment is coming," she said, "Cover!"

The trio made for a tidal pool. Seeing three geth anti-tank units swing their rockets towards them, Shepard coolly took aim. One pull of the trigger, and a round sailed into the lead unit's launcher. The round detonated the explosive charge, blowing all three geth up, the parts thrown about as if they had been dolls thrown against a wall.

"Heh, good to keep the old classics going," Shepard said to herself, as the others began wading into water up to their waists. The other units down the beach were similarly closing in on covered positions.

"What classics?" Wrex asked.

Haider began to explain, but got only a single word out. The deafening, thumping impacts of the orbital artillery strike were a whole lot louder. The low-power accelerator hits struck each colossus, going through armour and the machinery within cleanly, before hitting the ground below. The thunderclaps of the latter were followed by thrown rock and blooms of dust rushing past. Shepard ducked, trying to avoid the fallout, but was struck by multiple pieces of rock with enough force that left her very glad for her kinetic barriers.

The haze began clearing quickly, courtesy of the ocean wind. Where the heavy mechs had stood, there were now only twenty or so overlapping craters, each almost large enough to land the Normandy in. The sea itself began flowing seeping into them through the sands, churning at the bottom.

"Holy shit," came Jennifer's voice, as she emerged from the tidal pool, "You really don't play around, Shepard."

"You don't say..." Tali replied, with more than a little hint of amusement.

"Welcome to our world," said Ashley, "Look, the geth are running!"

"The salarians beyond are in trouble," Shepard said, "Krogan. Lots of them." She sent the location of the STG basecamp to Haider.

Wrex let out an impatient grunt. "Saren must have someone on Tuchanka," he said, "I'm going to tear the name of the traitor out of him myself."

"All units, advance to the salarian position," Haider ordered, ignoring him, "They are in serious danger of being overrun."

Realising she was stuck at the top of the rock, Shepard began to climb down on the opposite side. There was no way in hell she was going to miss the fun.

* * *

Ashley was first over the salarian barricades, shotgun at the ready and a collection of enlisted soldiers with her. The scene before her was one of brutality; krogan mutilating and killing salarians where they could be caught, knocking them to the ground and executing them with the heels of their boots or ripping their throats out with teeth. The STG returning the favour with grenade launchers and flamethrowers, blasting and burning two or three at a time. Getting a handle on the situation was going to take more than she had.

The Chief looked to either side, trying to see if any other groups of Alliance soldiers had made it through. Not another soul save the five or six that had followed her, screaming their lungs out and ignoring all else but the advance.

At some point during the charge, she had managed to lose the other members of the Normandy crew, probably when the geth had rallied to try and delay the Alliance linking up with the STG, but had pressed forward regardless. The synthetics had jammed the comms close to Saren's fortress, making matters greatly worse.

"What do we do, ma'am?" one of the soldiers asked calmly, an old Texas drawl stretching out each syllable.

Ashley looked at the soldier with a furrowed brow. Was he stupid? So stupid that he'd follow her to that point and have no idea what they were going to do? It took seeing that all the others were younger, and lower ranked, than herself for her to understand. Most of them didn't even seem to be in the same unit to begin with. The Chief's mind raced back to her officer training.

"We're a composite unit now, corporal," she said, remembering the protocol, "I'm in command. We're helping the salarians. We need to secure their headquarters and protect their commander."

The soldier gave a single nod, and got the others spreading out into something resembling a fireteam. He had only needed that much of a boost, Ashley saw, but as a paratrooper of the First Legion, perhaps that was to be expected. They were machines designed to be wielded, by an officer. And she was one. Technically.

"Forward!" she shouted, preferring the action to the word.

The Chief walked ahead at a quick step, weapon raised.

It didn't take long for the enemy to present themselves. Two krogan burst through a large tent, collapsing it to nothing in a second. One was holding a half-dead salarian, the other a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and neither were paying attention to anything other than the STG. Ashley couldn't help but notice that they were very similar, both having the same yellow eyes and brown-yellow shell. Twins perhaps?

Regardless, she had them. The shotgun barked, sending 'buckshot' into the knees of the RPG wielding drooler and her own soldiers firing. The krogan didn't have shielding, and the first stopped sprinting and started hobbling, dropping the RPG. The fusillade of the soldiers downed the second, turned into an ugly pasta strainer that leaked yellow-green blood. She grimaced, rushing over to the survivor.

It grabbed her foot and attempted to pull her down, but only managed to drag Ashley closer. She jammed her shotgun barrel in its eye and pulled the trigger, sending the rear of its skull bursting outwards, spraying her armour. A quick wipe with the side of her hand soon saw to that, and they were advancing again.

Suddenly, it seemed as if the krogan were on the retreat. Those that remained were receiving the attention of multiple salarians at one, often in the form of their sticky-bomb launchers that cratered krogan armour and bodies with ease with a direct hit.

They almost ran into another four krogan, providing a distraction for the STG group targeting them to do just that. The corpses fell to the wet sand, broken, halting the humans' in their tracks. The salarians responsible soon emerged from foxholes and the sides of prefabs, about the same number as there were humans, covering all possible entry points into the small space with their weapons.

"Shit," Ashley said, to no one in particular, "We need to get some of those." Hums of agreement followed from her makeshift squad.

"Sorry, the STG does not sell weapons designs to aliens," a salarian informed her, politely, "But we appreciate your assistance nonetheless."

Ashley couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, given that she had done nothing to help him other than stumble upon his group, but she didn't have time for rebuttal.

"Ashley Williams, Hell Brigade, Alliance Army," she said quickly, "Where is your commanding officer?"

"Follow us," the salarian replied, "We'll take you to him. Need to retreat any way, the krogan are gone for the moment, but they'll be back."

"And in greater numbers," said another salarian.

Ashley blinked for a moment, not liking the sound of that and slightly perturbed at how casually they were taking the prospect of being torn to pieces. The salarians didn't wait for a response, they fell out in an orderly but hasty fashion. There was nothing to do but follow.

A few minutes of weaving through ever more dense 'flatpack' buildings and metal barricades, fire from the nearby walls intensifying as they moved, they made it to the main salarian position.

"Friendlies!" Ashley shouted, not wanting to get shot by some twitchy salarian. They were twitchy enough in her eyes without active combat throwing them for a new one.

"Obviously," came the amused reply.

The squad leader pointed his men to join the line, and personally took Ashley and her people to the headquarters prefab, whispering in her superior's ear... or whatever passed for one among salarians, before dismissing himself to return. It was a bare place save for lockers and hammocks, with only a limited set of command equipment in the common space in the middle of the room.

The salarian commander looked up from the small holoprojector, before coming around it and shaking Ashley's hand profusely.

"Captain Kirrahe, 3rd Infiltration Regiment, STG," he said, as she gingerly reclaimed her hand, "I must thank you, Williams. If you hadn't shown up when you did, the krogan would have overrun us."

Ashley tilted her head slightly, not sure what he meant. A glance to her fellow Alliance soldiers confirmed that they had no idea what he was talking about either. "We only killed two krogan," she said, confused at the warm reception.

"They came under the impression that you were the tip of the main Alliance force, and withdrew," Kirrahe replied, returning to his holograms with his hands behind his back, "The geth have held the rest of your people off, for the moment. They've jamming almost all communications, but I've managed to restore limited contact with Commander Shepard. Reinforcements are coming."

"Great, so all we need to do is..." Ashley began.

"Hold the line," Kirrahe nodded, "The krogan have already realised their mistake."

The salarian captain pulled a Viper rifle up from the side of the holoprojector and cradled the thing in both arms. "With me," Kirrahe said, moving out of the small building.

Ashley waved her soldiers to go along with it, and were led to the left-most barricade under the lee of the wall itself, half buried in sand as the protected side of a trench.

The shooting from the walls had ceased, and there was guttural noise rumbling towards the position already. The Chief stowed her shotgun and balanced the huge Rorsch rifle on the metal of the barricade. Her troops eyed the armour-busting weapon with a small degree of awe and a greater degree of envy, but she knew it was only a marginally better choice. Sure, she could kill a krogan or two with a single shot, but then she had to reload. With that in mind, she quickly grabbed the box of rounds, opened it and placed it on the edge by the rifle. She didn't want to get jumped while fiddling the ammunition.

"Remember," Kirrahe shouted, waving his rifle off his hip, "Hold the line!" The salarian took aim, like the rest, opting to stand up rather than huddle down. Admirable, Ashley thought, but stupid.

As expected, the krogan boiled between and through the remaining buildings. Their mouths opened to issue a battlecry, but the cacophony of firepower from the salarians and humans drowned it out. The mass accelerators carved through them, the grenades exploded among them in clouds of blood and sand. The krogan rushed forwards like it was nothing more than rain.

Ashley felt fear curl up in her gut, her teeth clenching involuntarily at the sight.

She took aim at the densest cluster she could find, and pulled the trigger. The Rorsch boomed, eclipsing all other noises for the briefest moment, its slug tearing through a line of krogan.

Still the krogan came.

Ashley opened the weapon, letting the steaming-hot heatsink pop out, and slammed the reload in before snapping the whole thing closed. She returned her attention forwards to find the krogan even closer than she had feared. Again, her Rorsch boomed. Again, a hole appeared in the krogan ranks several aliens deep, but they had wised up to the power of her weapon. They began moving towards her personally, eyes all pointed at her.

Panic set in, and she popped the rifle open to reload more forcefully.

"Come one, come on," she muttered, continuing the process, her squad pouring fire onto the oncoming threat rattling in her ears. The krogan were close enough to smell, firing wildly off the hip as they came on.

Once ready, Ashley looked up. A single krogan had broken ahead of the pack, and was almost on her, ignoring the entirety of her squad's firepower. The blue flashes told her it had barriers, unlike its friends.

She fired the Rorsch, barely aiming. The shot struck the alien in the side. He span like a top, but tumbled forwards and fell onto Ashley herself. The thing moved as it fell.

"Fuck you!" she screamed, activating her omniblade. She stabbed and stabbed, eliciting further groans of pain, covering herself in krogan entrails and sand, as she sliced him apart. By the time it was definitely dead, she had no idea how long she had been fighting. She pulled herself out from underneath the body, and stood up.

The sights and sounds that greeted her almost sent her back into the trench.

Alliance Orca tanks and Mako APCs, painted in crimson reds and dusty oranges, raced over the beaches and over the remains of the buildings, their cannons blasted away at the krogan as every machinegun chattered. The lead tank, marked with the words "_MARS ATTACKS_" in large white letters, drove straight past and parallel to the wall. Ashley couldn't stop grinning. The cavalry had arrived.

The Mako that had been following skidded to a stop, and the rear ramp opened. Shepard and Haider stepped out, followed by the others in quick succession.

The Commander looked between Ashley and the dead krogan at her feet for a moment. "Chief, are you alright?" she asked, "Any wounds?"

"None, ma'am," Ashley replied, "It just got close, is all."

"Hear that, Wrex?" Shepard said, as the krogan disembarked, "It just got close."

Wrex took one glance, gave one appreciative tilt of the crest, and walked off to find something to kill. That was as complimentary as Wrex seemed to get, most of the time, as far as Ashley could tell. Unless it was Tali.

"Very well done, Chief," Shepard said.

"It was nothing," said Ashley, getting out of the trench with the help of the other Alliance soldiers, whom had also miraculously survived.

"She didn't flinch for a second, Commander," the corporal reported.

Ashley had the sneaking suspicion that too much was being made of the fact.

"Indeed," said Kirrahe, "If we had been overrun, I would be unable to inform you of a most disturbing discovery."

"Inform us, in that case," Haider said, with some hostility, "We formally annexed this world, you should not even be here."

Kirrahe seemed completely unphased, to Ashley's surprise, even as the Major-General's crazy biotic daughter moved to get a clear sight of the salarian, her biotics flaring slightly. Apples don't fall far from the tree even among the adopted children, the Chief thought to herself.

"Saren has found a cure for the genophage," Kirrahe stated, "His krogan are not mercenaries, and they are not clones. They are born."

The entire group was struck dumb. Haider looked like she might actually explode, her face turned so red to the Chief's eye. Wrex could've joined her, the hostility flowing off of him as he loomed ever closer to the STG captain.

"Well, shit," said Ashley at last.

"You said it, Chief," Shepard chipped in.

* * *

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Happy N7 Day ladies and gents!_

_In case you haven't heard already, it seems that the very beginning of ME:Andromeda (i.e. when the ships leave the Milky Way Galaxy) is in 2185, which means the timing of the end of this story will be very fortunate for me writing that scenario into Battlefield 2185. And a great many other stories, I would imagine. It will be very good times around here come springtime, I think._

_As for this chapter, a lot happened. I originally planned to reveal Jack's new... situation in BF2184, but I liked the idea of her being rescued and adopted by Haider too much to leave until then, especially as my 2184 story will essentially be a short story._

_Fairly easy to see where Liara is going in terms of her personality too, courtesy of repeated bonds with the Angel of Death. Also, the First Martian Armoured Regiment makes its debut._

_Hopefully, I'll have another chapter up for you guys tomorrow at the latest._

_**KnightOfHolyLight**:__ Aethyta is going to be a much more important character than in the games, to say the least._


	39. Chapter 32: Doom Speaks

**Chapter 32: Doom Speaks**

Wrex grabbed Kirrahe with a single claw and hoisted the captain up up, using his other arm to jam his shotgun's barrel up against the salarian's belly. The STG operatives raised their weapons and backed off, eyes glancing to one another with uncertainty. Wrex swung their commanding officer around to prevent them getting a clear shot, and Kirrahe himself waved for them to hold their fire.

"Keep trying, pyjaks!" the krogan roared, "Either I get to speak to this one, or he's dead!"

Shepard's jaw clenched. She was a Spectre. Her duty was to the Council. However, Wrex had proven to be far more than a mercenary she kept to kill her enemies. He was her crew. And his feelings had gotten ahead of him. She looked to Haider for a moment, hoping to catch her eye so that the Major-General would intervene, using her rank to call off the salarians. Haider seemed entirely uninterested, tapping away on her omnitool.

The only person who would be saving Wrex from execution was Shepard herself. She stepped forward, placing herself in the firing line of as many of the rifles aimed at him as possible. Liara and Tali both made noises of worry, trying to catch her, but she had made up her mind.

"Wrex, put the Captain down!" she shouted, "The salarians have you surrounded."

"There's only one reason the STG would come here," Wrex shouted back, "To destroy the cure for the genophage! The salarians must have used the information we got on Feros and worked out that the cure existed! My people are going extinct Shepard, don't get in my way."

"Wrex, think about it," Shepard said, lowering her tone, "Saren made this cure. For all you know, every one of the krogan we've fought has been indoctrinated to the eyeballs, just like Benezia!"

"That's a chance I have to take," Wrex replied, calming down a little, "The krogan deserve to live and it isn't Saren's geth or his Reapers killing us."

"Listen... to yourself," Kirrahe said, struggling to get the words out, "The cure would be the end of the krogan people. You would go out and attack every other species and we'd be forced to commit genocide. The genophage is population control."

"You think fearing us gives you the right to neuter us?!" Wrex shouted, "Salarians are no less of a threat, sneaking around and assassinating whoever you want. Maybe the turians should cut your numbers down a little."

Wrex squeezed harder, sending Kirrahe scrambling for breath, trying to pry the krogan's claws away.

"Wrex, put him down!" Shepard pleaded, "This will only get you killed!"

"Please Wrex, do what Shepard says," Ashley added, "She's right. You can't trust something Saren made to save your people, you know it would backfire."

Wrex released the STG captain at last, tossing him to the ground. Kirrahe gasped air in greedily and got back on his feet, giving a hand signal to his men to stand down. They obeyed only reluctantly, Shepard noticed, pointing their weapons down rather than slinging them.

"You're both right," Wrex grumbled, "No point dying here, with no way to get word back to Tuchanka that a cure is possible, and Saren is a real... turian. Can't trust his tech or his word."

"Williams, Shepard..." Kirrahe rasped, massaging his throat, "Thank you."

"No problem, Captain," Ashley replied, "Will you destroy the cure?"

"We must," Kirrahe said, blinking rapidly, "To prevent galactic war."

Shepard frowned. The line that the genophage protected the galaxy from war was older than human flight, but she found it a little hollow in the face of faceless synthetic killers threatening to destroy all life. It wasn't even known what the Reapers looked like, only that they brought down an entire galactic civilisation. The krogan might be needed at full strength, she thought.

The chomp of boots on sand interrupted further thoughts, as the paratroops suddenly appeared from all sides, weapons raised. Shepard noticed that four or five tanks had quietly parked themselves around the camp during the confrontation, and their weapons were pointed in the direction of the salarians.

Haider came forward, a stone-cold look on her face, her hands held to either side with closed fists.

"Captain Kirrahe," she said, "I cannot allow you to destroy the cure for the genophage."

Shepard flinched, not quite believing what she was hearing.

"You have no right to stop me!" said Kirrahe, anger creeping into his tone, "We have orders!"

"I have every right," Haider said, "Our laws are very clear on the matter. All resources and technology found on a world conquered from a belligerent power may be seized at the command of the highest ranking Army or Navy officer present. I am the highest ranking Army officer here, and I say the cure stays intact."

Kirrahe's face went blank, a sure sign of hostility in a salarian. His subordinates seemed to slowly spread out, ready to fight back against the display of power. The Major-General regarded him with increasing amusement.

"Haider..." Shepard warned.

"Captain, you are entirely outnumbered," Haider said, with a flick of the wrist to the paratroops, "There is no reason for you to die. Lay down your arms. You will be released to your government at the earliest convenient time."

Kirrahe's eyes moved over the red tanks, their long barrels pointing at his men. Shepard could almost sense his brain working out the variables. Would his death be enough to get the Council to act? Would the asari and turians care enough to denounce the Alliance for killing or capturing them? Would they even know that the Alliance had killed them instead of the geth? These were questions Shepard couldn't answer, and as understanding dawned on the salarian's face, she knew he couldn't answer them to any satisfaction either.

"Very well," Kirrahe said, "We are your … guests."

"Prisoners," Haider corrected sharply, "Major Schmitt, detain these salarians."

A paratroop officer standing near one of the tanks gave a thumbs up, and as one, the other soldiers moved towards, snatching rifles and grenade launchers out of the hands of the salarians. The Captain was first to be led off, hands on his head, followed shortly by his operatives. A scene that caused Wrex to laugh heartily.

"All this time, I had given up hope," he laughed, "Who knew it would be the new kids in the galaxy to deliver the cure!"

"Deliver the cure?" Haider said, with faux-confusion, "Urdnot Wrex, you seem to be mistaking my purpose. I have no intention of handing over the cure to you or any other krogan at present."

"What!" Wrex said, moving towards the Major-General angrily. Jennifer imposed herself into his path, and wagged her finger at him. To Shepard's great surprise, he actually stopped. The tattooed biotic's reputation preceded her,

"Why keep the cure if you're not going to use it?" Liara asked, before he changed his mind.

"Leverage against the Citadel?" Tali suggested, holding her palm up, "It would be a pretty good threat."

"It would be," Haider conceded, "They know that resurgent krogan clans would threaten humanity as much as anyone else, but they'd also know we would be allied to them in the early days."

"Keeping it for yourself until the right moment..." Wrex said, "While we die. You're as bad as the turians."

Haider brushed past Jennifer and squared up to Wrex, their disparities in size meaningless before the two unshakeable personalities they possessed.

"I would gladly cure your people today, if krogan war parties wouldn't show up on human colonies in mere moths afterwards," she spat, "Tuchanka has no government, just clans interested in one thing alone; war. Clans with the cure would fight and destroy those without, then try and conquer as much of the galaxy as possible. Without a central government and a purpose other than killing people, no peace will ever hold."

Wrex paused, his eyes moving as he thought. They came to rest on Shepard. This was going to end in disaster, her mind screamed, and they didn't have time to deal with it. Yet Haider's words provided an obvious out. One that shouldn't be spoken, but...

"What if they had a government?" she blurted out, before she could stop herself.

Haider turned around and looked, an eyebrow raised.

"Hypothetically," Shepard continued, "If they have a government and a purpose, would you cure the krogan?"

"If I could convince the Consuls that they'd be an ally..." Haider said slowly, "It's possible... but the krogan have never had a central government."

"Wrex, go back to Tuchanka when this is over," Shepard continued, "You are a son of a clan chief, you told me yourself. You can lead your clan to build that government."

The Commander aimed her glare at Haider next.

"And I'm sure the Major-General would have no problem backing your movement," she concluded, "After all, the Council thinks they have the right to tell _us_ how to live too."

The silence was deafening, as both took to staring at the Commander like she had two heads. Shepard grew impatient, throwing a hand up to try and get some sort of response.

Haider flashed a smile. "Oh Shepard," she said, "You are absolutely devious."

"Uniting the clans is easier said than done, Shepard," Wrex said, "But with backing... it's something to consider."

Shepard sighed her relief that the conflict over the matter was resolved.

"Great," she said quickly, "Can we go kill Saren now?"

* * *

It was no hard task to destroy the remaining anti-aircraft batteries and breach the compound's walls, allowing free access to the entire facility from both the ground and the air. Haider assigned platoons to take each individual building, and she had remained behind to oversee them. The Martian tanks were ordered to deliver Shepard and her team to what the Major-General thought was the primary research facility, once the outer buildings had been secured.

Where Shepard desperately hoped Saren was holed up. The dusty-red Mako took them through the compound smoothly, driven by Ashley, giving her a few minutes to think.

The dreadnought Sovereign still had not showed up and the number of geth vessels had proved easy for the Fifth Fleet to deal with. Yet a quick interrogation of the salarians had confirmed that Saren was on Virmire, in the compound. The Commander saw the threat; that the dreadnought would show up to rescue Saren before he could be killed. The thing had _landed_ on Eden Prime, which if repeated would render attempts to intercept it from space difficult at best.

Shepard chewed her lip, beginning to worry that the turian traitor would slip out of her grasp. She changed to the command channel to listen in on the progress of Haider's troops, unwilling to consider the possibility of failure further.

"..are retreating here too, General," said one officer with a deep timbre, "Krogan and geth both. I don't understand."

"That confirms it," Haider said, "They're headed for the hanger area."

"We've surrounded it. It's heavily shielded, and we don't have anything with us that can breach it," said another officer, female this time, "If we had a titan or two, we could breach it easily..."

"We don't," Haider continued, "If they're attempting evacuation, we'll have to wait until they begin to leave. I'll notify the Navy."

The Mako jumped to a halt, shaking Shepard out of her trance. Haider was thinking along the same lines she had been, that the geth would try to get Saren out. Feeling the seconds ticking away, Shepard opened the rear doors to the Mako more violently than she needed to and jumped out.

The research facility hung over the wall by the ocean itself, a beautiful view beside it marred by the smoking ruins of GARDIAN cannons. There was a burning smell in the air that hung heavily around, causing eyes to water, but no sign of the enemy. Shepard began to move towards the nearest entrance, eager to get out of the acrid environment. Her comms clicked.

"Shepard, we've found an asari scientist," Haider said, "She started blabbering as soon as our people got to her. Apparently she was studying indoctrination for Saren. He was afraid it might affect him."

Shepard pointed to the door, waving Ashley and Wrex forward to pry it open, as she thought before responding. "That doesn't make any sense," she said, "Saren controls the indoctrination through Sovereign, we know that much."

"Perhaps he does not," Liara cut in, "Or perhaps he fears it being used on him by a disloyal subordinate."

"Anyone close enough to betray him like that is already indoctrinated," Haider said, "I get the feeling that the Reapers are already here. Benezia isn't speaking any more, but it's possible that Sovereign is crewed by Reapers. They would need someone with contacts and the ability to move freely like him to carry out any plan of extinction, and knowing his politics, he probably struck a deal to keep the turians off the kill list when the rest of the bastards show up."

"So he is afraid that they'll indoctrinate him and go back on the deal?" Tali said, "Or that he already is?"

"Exactly," Haider said, "We're finding gestation tanks all over the compound, and we just found a clutch of about fifteen krogan corpses, all of them female and all of them with evidence of recent and older surgery on their impregnation wombs. Saren is cleaning house. The salarian was right about the cure. We need to analyse all the equipment, but I'm sure they used Reaper technology to make it. He's exposed no matter how you look at it."

"Can you reverse engineer the tech?" asked Wrex, "Make it so krogan born with the cure aren't the geth's puppets?"

"I'm not a prenatal or neural biologist, Wrex," Haider said, "I have no idea."

"Fine," Wrex growled, "Just out of curiosity... As it has come to mind, what are you going to tell the Council when they get their salarians back? How do I know your politicans won't cave to pressure?" Good question, Shepard thought.

"The subject simply won't come up," Haider replied, "We're not giving the salarians back until after we've won the war. They were never here, until I say otherwise. The consuls will back me up. Dennison's been looking for something to hold over the Citadel for years, and deBankole privately agrees with her."

Shepard couldn't restrain the scoff that burst from her mouth at the woman's audacity.

"And you called me devious," she said, incredulous, "Talk later."

Ashley heaved the heavy double doors apart enough for a person to pass through, at last, and stepped through. A hand signal told everyone else it was safe inside, and they began moving. The room appeared to be a reception area, with nothing more than a desk and some chairs guarding an elevator.

"Tali, get that working," Shepard said, nodding at the elevator.

"Sure," Tali replied, before starting to work on just that.

A few seconds after the young quarian began to work, an intercom crackled to life.

"Shepard," said Saren's voice, "You are not welcome here."

The Commander's face curled with anger.

"From the geth and krogan roaming about trying to kill me, I had no idea!" she said, "Why don't you come out here so we can settle this?"

"I'm afraid my destiny doesn't allow me to indulge myself," Saren replied, "But it's not too late. You can stop this course of madness right now. You have some idea of what we're facing, but if you go up on that elevator, you'll learn everything. And then you might find yourself seeing things my way. I doubt you want that, so I offer you this; leave now."

"The only madness here is yours, Saren!" Liara shouted, "I am going to kill you, that is your destiny!"

"If you are even half the person your mother is, you have a chance," Saren admitted, "But you won't get to use it, not before I complete my work. After that, you may not want to use it."

"This conversation is over," Shepard said, "You aren't getting off this world alive."

"We shall see," said Saren.

The background noise of the intercom died, and the elevator glowed to life. Tali stood up from the control box, bouncing on her toes. The sight of her cheered Shepard up a little.

"Well, that was interesting," Ashley said, "Shall we go see what he was talking about?"

"After you," Shepard said. They all piled in, and the elevator took only a minute to reach the floor marked LABORATORY – SAREN.

The doors opened to reveal a two-floor room, connected by a dual staircase. On the top floor, a desk in disarray stood on a balcony overlooking the bottom floor, an angry red haptic interface floating above. Plate glass windows provided a panoramic view overlooking the sea, the wall and the compound. To one side were weapon lockers, opened and empty.

It struck Shepard as a well-lived in work space. She wandered in, looking out of the windows and down at the collections of armoured vehicles and soldiers moving about. No sign of any geth or krogan. Wrex led Liara and Tali downstairs to clear that room.

"Looks like we just missed him," Ashley said, sweeping her gun barrel over every nook and cranny.

Shepard hummed her agreement, and moved to the desk. There were reports on data tablets about indoctrination, but no personal logs. No indicator of where Saren might be or what his plans really were.

"Shepard!" Wrex called, "Get down here!"

Shepard exchanged a look with Ashley, before they both rushed down one of the stairways, weapons at the ready. She nearly bumped into Wrex, who had stopped dead at the bottom in front of a tarp that was laying on the floor. Liara and Tali were also as still as statues, sending Shepard wondering what the fuss was. She came up alongside Liara, opening her mouth to ask what was wrong, and saw it.

Another Prothean beacon, fully intact and glowing green.

"Guess I should use this," Shepard said.

"Last time, it exploded," Ashley reminded her, "Pretty badly."

Liara gave an alarmed look. Shepard smirked, and gave her a reassuring pat on the hand.

"Yeah, it did," Shepard conceded, "But we hit the last one with an EMP strike before I was caught by it."

"We don't have a choice," Wrex grumbled, "Get on with it."

Shepard couldn't fault that argument, and shrugged. She stepped onto the metal floor directly ahead of it, and felt the sensation of her weight draining away once more. Her body lifted off the floor, hanging in front of the beacon, green light intensifying along its surface. A sharp headache erupted in her skull, and the images began to flow into her mind.

Creatures running away in fear, firing beam weapons at approaching Reaper ships. Sovereign-class dreadnoughts being swarmed by massive numbers of fighters. The Citadel again, blooms of fire rising from its wings and appearing in the space around it, as the Reapers attacked. Cities untouched, yet somehow in despair. Finally, a planetary system, the sight of a single planet and a moon, illuminated by a star.

The beacon had done its work, and dropped Shepard as abruptly as it had picked her up. She landed hard, but on her feet, as the headache continued. She rubbed her temples, turning around again.

"Chakwas is going to kill me," Shepard said, wincing through the pain, "It was more of the same, death and destruction, but at the end I saw a planet. Maybe the cities on it."

"It must be the planet past the Mu Relay, the one where the Conduit is," Tali said, "Saren must have been spending the past few months trying to find this beacon, so he could find the planet."

"Liara, we need to figure out the beacon," she said, "Can you meld with me again?"

Liara nodded and moved closer, sending a warm feeling down Shepard, preparing to delve into her mind.

"I think we have a bigger problem, Shepard," Wrex said, looking behind.

Shepard turned, the feeling of warmth disappearing. She found a giant holographic representation of Sovereign was hanging over the desk above them, in the same glowing red of the haptic interface in front of it. A direct line to Sovereign?

"Did we trigger some kind of alert?" she thought aloud, climbing the stairs once more. The whole team followed, and soon were staring at the thing. It was staring back.

"Saren failed," said a voice, "The beacon was not to be accessed by anyone but him."

Shepard shivered at the sound. It was robotic, yet its malice was undeniable.

"What are you?" she asked.

"Ignorant creatures, fleeting and weak," the hologram said, "I am beyond your comprehension."

"I am Sovereign."

Shepard felt every hair on her body stand on end, and a sickly cold sensation fill her gut.

"You're a Reaper," she said.

"The Protheans gave us that name, they too could not understand our purpose," Sovereign replied, almost sounding weary through its monotone voice, "Fear addled their minds, and they could not see the truth before them, though it assaulted them long before we arrived."

"The Protheans were wiped out tens of thousands of years ago," Ashley said, "There is no way you could know what they thought."

"Organic beings are mortal, death claims you quickly and you believe your lives to be long," Sovereign replied, "_We _are eternal. We are ultimate sapient existence. Before us, you are _nothing_. Your extinction is inevitable, we are the end."

The feeling of nausea sweeping over her, Shepard consciously suppressed it as best she could. She refused to let this new and terrifying information overwhelm her.

"For a supreme being, you've displayed an incredible amount of incompetence," she growled back, "The fact we're standing here is proof you are not all-powerful. We can beat you."

"You can win a battle, but you cannot stop the cycle," said Sovereign, "It cannot be broken by any means you possess."

"What cycle?" Tali asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Across this galaxy, organic civilisations are born, rise, and at the pinnacle of their collective existence, are eliminated," Sovereign explained, "The Protheans are not responsible for the creation of the mass relays, they did not create the Citadel. They merely found them, the legacy of my kind.

"Your society develops along the paths we desire. We impose order on the development of organic life. You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it."

"You are harvesting us," Shepard said, "Building us up, then tearing us down, taking what you need!"

"But that does not make any sense!" Liara said, "What could you possibly gain from this?"

"You would not understand our purpose," Sovereign said, "We are each a nation, independent, free of all weakness. You cannot grasp the nature of our existence."

"Who built you?!" Wrex shouted, "You are machines, you didn't crawl out of the mud!"

"We have no beginning, no end," Sovereign said, "We are infinite. Millions of years after your civilisation has been eradicated and forgotten, we will endure."

"Are you alone?" Ashley asked, "Is that why you've allied with Saren and the geth?"

"We are _legion_, and the time of our return is coming," said Sovereign, "Your skies will darken as we take every world from you. Saren, the geth and others are a means to an end."

"We'll stop you!" Shepard declared, sensing weakness, "If you cannot come and kill us as you please, if you need Saren and the geth, then we can stop you. If we can do it, we will do it!"

"Your words are hollow, like your existence," Sovereign replied, betraying no fear, "We are the vanguard of your destruction. This exchange is over."

The hologram flickered and died, returning to the standard interface that had preceded it.

Shepard felt numb, shellshocked, unable to move from the spot she was standing like her feet had been encased in concrete. The war they had been fighting, punishing the geth and chasing Saren, was merely the tip of the iceberg. Worse, she didn't think anyone would believe them when they said that _legions_ of sentient dreadnoughts were coming to kill the galaxy, that Saren was merely a puppet.

Desperate for every advantage, she activated her omnitool and accessed her suit telemetry.

"What are you doing?" Liara asked.

"Checking that my armour and helmet cameras got all of that," Shepard said, "All N7s carry them for mission debriefings..." She finally saw that both had been recorded, working as they should have been. She collapsed onto her knees with relief, leaning on the ground on her palms.

"You got it?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah," Shepard said.

"Good, because no one would ever believe us otherwise," Wrex said, "Not even sure I could show my clan all that and have them believe me."

"Well, you might have to, Wrex," Tali said, "If that thing was telling the truth, they'll be coming for your clan too."

A noise like hell's own foghorn sounded through the air, through Shepard's body and into her mind, loud enough that her ears needed time to catch up again once it had finished. All of them looked in the direction the sound had come from, and saw the ocean roiling. Slowly, the metallic kraken rose from the swirling foam, dragging itself upright on its gigantic black legs, armour plates on its head moving aside to reveal its weapon. The charging sequence began, baleful red light emitting from it.

"Holy Mother of God," Ashley said, "It's Sovereign."

Shepard nodded, powerless before the sight of it. They were far too close to escape. She quickly closed her hand around Liara's own.

Sovereign fired, the solid beam lancing out. It carved into the compound, through the collection of tanks and APCs, setting off secondary explosions, killing hundreds in an instant. Gunships had seen it already, and began firing at the dreadnought, to no effect. The Reaper ignored them. Geth fighters and transports began appearing in the sky nearby, sheltering from the Alliance's attention in the shadow of the behemoth.

"It's Saren!" Wrex said, pointing out into the distance.

Shepard snapped her head that way to see. Saren was standing aboard a hovercraft of some kind, which was landing in the hanger of one of the transports. His eyes were centred on her position. He knew she was watching, and her blood boiled at the sight. Liara's did too; their mutual grip tightened until both their hands hurt.

The geth transports and fighters began heading for space. Sovereign's great weapon swivelled to aim at the lab, but did not charge. Instead, the Reaper's thrusters powered up, drowning out the sight of it temporarily with steam, before its black form could be seen as the vapours cleared, heading into space.

"Shepard, what the hell is going on!" Haider said over the comms, "Where did Sovereign come from?"

"It was here all along," Shepard responded quietly, "Hiding under the water."

"Great, a Navy intelligence fuckup ends up killing half the Martian 1st Armoured," Haider shouted, "Good men and women, every single fucking one of them. Please tell me you got Saren, at least?"

"No," Shepard replied, simply.

"Shit," Haider said.

"You're going to need to watch my suit telemetry," Shepard said, "The damn thing let us live to make a point."

"Shepard... You're speaking like it's the ship you want to kill," Haider said cautiously.

"That's because it is the ship I want to kill," Shepard replied, "Like I said, watch my telemetry. I suggest a stiff drink to go along with that, because I need one too."

* * *

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Happy November 12__th __2016, the two year anniversary of this story! I had hoped to have the whole thing finished by now, but alas, reality struck home. Regular updates of this story will continue, but Outlander and the other Battlefield stories shall also resume now too. We're really close to the endgame on this, so it'll be more regular than usual, I really want to hear your reactions to the ending I have planned._

_Thank you to the hundreds who have read this and reviewed this, and know that I appreciate your enjoyment of this story immensely. It's why I'm in the game here. This was my first major fanfiction, and it's dear to my heart._

_**KnightOfHolyLight**: __Jack's a particular favourite of mine, much like Tali._

_Saren's cure always was real, as far as I know. Difference was that he didn't have a whole lot of krogan to work with, and it was made with Reaper tech. I think I've more or less stuck to canon on that here, albeit with more clarity in the writing because I can use ME3's perspective on it in ME1's timeline._

_As for Andromeda in 2185, word is that the 'ark' thing is a private venture, perhaps by a series of rich investors that believe the Reapers are coming? I would imagine that could place it before Shepard's return in mid-2185, but one of the trailers has Shepard sending them off with a personal message, if you'll recall. That might have been simply PR work, but we'll have to wait and see._

_**Highflyer**: __Glad you liked it. _

_Battlefield 2185's coverage of the ME2 timeline is going to be almost entirely original, in sharp contrast to this. Obviously, some things can't be avoided. Shepard dying is something I see as inevitable in the aftermath of both the canon and my AU, thus Cerberus bringing her back is too. The Collectors trying to make a human Reaper is inevitable. Certain things Shepard needs to do to beat the Collectors can't be avoided. But it'll be a huge divergence from the story of ME2 regardless, right from the beginning. I think you'll see why in the closing chapters of this story. This chapter in itself smashes the canon with a sledgehammer._


	40. Chapter 33: Triumvirate

**Chapter 33: Triumvirate**

Haider paced to the communications room of the _Athena_ as fast as she could, the corridors full of naval ensigns rushing to secure the ship for travel back to Arcturus. The ship's fighter squadrons were returning from their combat patrols, the intercom announcing the return of each wing, and causing a new wave of movement with each announcement. Almost rolling the diminutive Major-General over with each step. She only noticed as the enlisted men and women scrambled to part ways in the face of the golden oak leaves on her collars.

She kept moving, needing to hear what the leaders of her species thought of the bombshell that had landed in her lap.

For years, Haider had entertained the idea of a humanity ascendant, not simply part of the galactic community but leading it by example. The efforts of the past thirty or so years suggested that this was not a fantasy proposition, but something that could actually happen within her lifetime. All historical precedent had been defied when humanity had repelled the turians, joined the Citadel as a full associate member in barely half a decade, and now, again as they gained a Spectre in the midst of a galactic crisis. Even the discovery of the Reapers seemed timed to bring glory... before the true scale of the enemy had been revealed. It made humanity's greatest ambitions look positively small-minded.

All of humanity's struggles could end in genocide by sentient starship.

Refusing to accept it, Haider stepped into the comms room in long strides, startling the officers there. The glances of rushed alarm told her that she wasn't expected for another couple of minutes, but her usual teasing rebuke would have wasted time.

"Has the Admiral given you your orders?" she asked quickly, addressing the senior lieutenant.

"Y-yes ma'am," the man replied, "Direct line is open, they're waiting."

"Good," Haider replied, before thumbing over her shoulder, "Clear the room."

The comms officers and ensigns immediately got up from their seats and filed out. When they were gone, a quick slap of the activation button of the main holoprojector brought it to life, humming and glowing as it resolved the images of the people on the other end.

Alexander deBankole appeared first, seated in an armchair, his eyelids half closed with fatigue. Beside him, Alice Dennison blinked into vision, in a contrary stance, standing up, her eyes wide and attentive. Both were dressed for sleep, a t-shirt and sweatpants on the former, a bed gown on the latter. Not surprising, even with the Consuls' schedule, it was night in the Earth Standard timezone.

Haider gave a single nod as greeting, and waded straight in.

"Have you seen it?" she asked, "The summary, at least?"

"We hardly had time to watch all of it," deBankole replied, slowed by his sleepiness, "There is a half dozen hours of recorded footage."

"It does not matter," Dennison added, "We saw the part about the damned giant space robots here to annihilate all advanced civilisation in the galaxy. Do you believe its threat is credible?"

"I do," Haider stated with absolute confidence, "Doctor T'soni's research on the downfall of the Protheans was thorough. The numbers Sovereign described match up with what we think would have been required to conquer them in the timescale the archaeology points to, assuming a more militaristic culture than what T'soni thought of. Either she is culturally biased towards diplomatic solutions or we're biased towards military ones, but I am certain the Protheans were an empire. Whether or not all the Reapers are as capable as Sovereign seems to be, we cannot determine."

"But some will be," deBankole said, "Likely thousands of sentient starships, and whatever thralls they can gather. Potentially millions, and some of them are going to be placed highly among the other species' ranks. The Citadel Council is going to lose their minds."

Haider winced, not wanting to point out that it was very possible that humanity's own ranks had been infiltrated by indoctrinated agents of the Reapers. It was a lower probability than with the more established species, of course, and human counterintelligence was the best in the galaxy. The Reapers' own allowance of Saren's antipathy towards humans seemed to suggest there were fewer involuntary collaborators.

"The councillors will come around," she said, "It's not like they can ignore the evidence we've found, not now."

"I wouldn't be so confident," Dennison replied, "We sent the Citadel the pertinent recording. They haven't answered."

Haider cursed loudly, shaking her head. The inaction of the supposed overlords of the galaxy in the face of clear and present danger was breathtaking. Surely they still didn't think that it was some plot to increase human influence? Or worse, perhaps they saw it as an opportunistic attempt to do the same in the face of galactic danger.

"We need to be prepared, in that case," Haider said, "I have already ordered our scientists to run the numbers on what the most effective weapons against these ships might be in various situations, relay jumpzones, in atmosphere engagements, that sort of thing. But what we really need to do is beat the geth, and quickly."

"Anderson has submitted a plan," DeBankole responded, "Based on the intelligence that Shepard gathered and what quarian probes have sent back from Tikkun, he proposes that we attack immediately with full strength."

"Something we're ready for," Dennison added, "But it has some of the other admirals running scared."

Bold action sounded exactly like Anderson's style, Haider thought. And he usually got his way, however mad the scheme he pushed might be. He was politically unaffiliated but had the full support of all sides of the military establishment, an anomalous position if ever there was one.

"Hackett's on his side though, right?" she asked.

"Absolutely," deBankole replied, "In fact, he has named Anderson to Kohaku's old position as Naval Director of Intelligence until a fleet command opens up."

Haider's jaw clenched. She was rather enjoying being the sole head of military intelligence, and had lobbied to keep it that way. Having a dual structure was an impediment.

"You can take that as a denial of your request," Dennison added, sympathetic, "I know you wanted to run the show, and I would have been happy to let you, but.."

"But I don't like the idea of a single person having that much power," deBankole said, completing the thought, "We have two consuls for the same reason. The Navy wouldn't tolerate it regardless."

"I defer to your learned judgment," Haider replied smartly, earning a smirk from Dennison, "So we will besiege Rannoch within days?"

"We've been ready to since the first attack on the Veil," deBankole said, "It was just thought to be smarter to clean up the colonies first, to protect our flanks."

"Yet the geth superstructure remains intact," Haider said, "I don't think we should do anything until it's destroyed."

"Anderson has plans for that too," Dennison said, frowning, "We'll see if they bear fruit, but that's not for the Army to know or criticise. No more than Field Marshal DeRuyter would tolerate Anderson sticking his nose into what she's been doing on all those quarian worlds."

Haider's eyebrows raised. If particulars of the plan for the final assault on Rannoch were being hidden from the Army, it must be either mad or controversial. Neither of which she wanted to be involved with, and suddenly, she felt slightly better about the compartmentalising of Army and Navy.

"Major-General, tell me of Shepard," deBankole said, changing the subject deliberately, "What is her next move?"

"Commander Shepard melded with Doctor T'soni again. They discovered that Sovereign and Saren have been looking for Ilos," Haider replied, "A legendary Prothean site, yet one that is very real. There have been attempts to organise a long term expedition for years. Shepard loaded up the Normandy with two Makos, and should be most of the way towards the Mu Relay patrol line. She plans to requisition the Alliance and Citadel flotillas there. Or whatever is left of them. We received a report that they had been briefly engaged by a geth fleet and Sovereign about a half hour ago."

"And the Fifth Fleet?" Dennison asked.

"_Admiral_ Shepard wanted to go too, but that would leave us a little thin on the home front. She is preparing to jump her fleet back to Arcturus, to protect the quarian homeships that are being upgunned as we speak." A pointless task now that the attack on Tikkun had been moved up, Haider thought.

"The Quarians will need more large combat ships, regardless of what happens," deBankole said, "Admiral Raan was very clear that they had no intention of tolerating Terminus piracy... and that was before we forwarded Shepard's footage to their Admiralty Board. They had already received it from Tali Zorah."

"I take it they are unamused?" Haider asked.

"Three of the five admirals know Ambassador Zorah intimately," Dennison said, "One is her father and the other two are family friends who have known her since she was an infant. They would know if she was lying. They are taking the information extremely seriously... they aren't going to even have half of the political problems we will, once we announce what will need to be done to survive the next few years."

"One of the advantages of military rule," deBankole added flatly.

"They've already agreed a position with us," Dennison nodded, "Anderson and Raan are meeting with Ambassador Udina on the Citadel for a showdown with the Council. We won't be taking no for an answer this time. Citadel fleets _will_ join us against the geth in battle at Tikkun."

Haider shuddered at the Consul's determination, the alternative to compliance being almost too terrible to contemplate. She silently wished Anderson all the luck in the world, as he went to the most important meeting of his life.

* * *

Anderson jumped off the shuttle before it had fully halted, dropping the last two feet and landing with more difficulty than he remembered having when doing the same thing in his younger days. Shaking off the thought, he broke into a stride immediately. His personal guard joined him, well used to his lack of patience for procedural etiquette when it came to waiting around unnecessarily.

Seeing those he was sent to join in front of him across the Presidium's broad main thoroughfare, he began moving, the clicks and whines of hovering cameras following his every move. The chiefs of communications had really went all the way, Anderson thought. His eyes scanned the faces and logos of the journalists. Every news organisation and commentator group had sent someone. That was good. It would mean everyone would be listening.

The Hegemony's own state media were even present, probably the first time they had been allowed onto the Citadel in five years. He shot them a cold look as he passed, unable to help himself, willing them to say or do something out of line. Their dark eyes tracked him, but the batarians said nothing.

Admiral Raan stood at the entrance to the Citadel Tower, flanked on either side by her own honour guard of Quarian marines. Directly to the left was Ambassador Udina, grinning with grim satisfaction at the media circus he had a large hand in whipping up. The N5s lined up opposite the quarian marines, and snapped to parade attention. Anderson shook Udina's hand, and saluted Raan in the human fashion. Raan saluted back in exactly the same manner, earning a fresh wave of official attention.

"Anderson, I'm glad you could make it," Udina said, switching to a more photogenic smile. Stomach curdling, how the ambassador could do that.

They began moving into the central elevator, pausing before the door for another round of images, and entering. The doors closed and the journey to the Council began.

"I am here because you need fireworks," Anderson replied, "I understand."

"Quite right," Udina said, "Just be yourself, and this will go exactly how we want. You have a particular talent for wounding turian honour, and in this case, that is particularly useful."

"Which makes me the voice of reason, I suppose," Raan added, "Though I doubt that the Citadel Council would ever see me as anything other than a refugee."

"A refugee with a large fleet," Udina corrected, "And now, the infrastructure to back it. If the councillors would respect nothing else, they will respect that."

Anderson let out a laugh. "Maybe they'll just be pleased that you aren't joining me," he said.

"I do not think we can predict what they will do," Raan replied, "What Shepard has found... it chills me to the very bone. I cannot imagine what the Council thinks."

"We are going to find out," Udina said firmly, "That is why half the reporters in the galaxy have laid siege to the Tower. They can't avoid answering the truth, one way or another."

The rest of the journey to the Council Chambers was made in silence. Anderson felt an unusual unease, a compulsion to pace around. Something that hadn't happened for a very long time. Since Shanxi, to be exact. The realisation was embarrassing. He should have been above such jitters by that point in his career. He clenched his fist hard, took in a breath and released it, exactly what he used to do when he was still an N7. It worked just as it used to.

The Reapers didn't own his soul just yet.

The elevator doors opened. The Council foyer was better illuminated than usual, Anderson noted. This allowed clearer views of every space filled with asari commandos and turian C-Sec agents, forming a funnel through which the delegation would be allowed to pass, and eventually, the sea of journalists to flow up. Executor Pallin was in the centre of the group, and approached.

"Ambassador Udina," he said, ignoring Anderson and Raan entirely, "The Council would like to speak to you before this begins."

Raan let out a bemused splutter, glancing at her human counterpart. Of course the Council wanted to speak to Udina first. Anderson allowed himself a smile at her inability to keep her feelings in check, mostly to send the message that she had failed to in the first place. The quarians' idea of military discipline was not strict, though the shared experience of the war was changing that. The turians would say the same thing of human discipline regardless.

"By all means," Udina said, "Lead the way."

The Executor walked away with the Ambassador, just as the other elevators arrived with the quarian and human honour guards. They fell in beside, as Anderson and Raan were escorted by the asari to the Council Chamber itself. It was as spectacular as usual, the pseudo-sakara trees in full pinkpetalled bloom. Such a remarkably peaceful place for where bloody decisions had to be made.

The commandos stopped the delegation and honour guard just before the beginning of the petitioner's rostra, above the garden below. The Council's positions were empty.

"Do you think the Ambassador will tell them?" Raan asked, "Warn them of what we want them to do?"

"I would bet on it," Anderson nodded, "Udina isn't the man to embarrass the Council, he's the man to flatter them. In fact, he probably warned them as soon as he found out. No doubt they have questions about how far we are willing to go to push them."

"Do we know how far that is?" Raan asked flatly.

"I don't," Anderson replied, "But the Consuls do. Especially Alexander. Count on it."

Raan's eyes rested on him for a moment, glowing through her mask's faceplate. Trying to figure whether it was true, he thought. She didn't have any real point of reference, after all... the pact between humanity and the quarians was still too new.

"I still don't understand why we're doing this," Raan said, "We have the geth exactly where we want them, and the plan is..."

"Not here," Anderson smiled, interrupting, "No doubt they can hear us."

"The STG?" Raan asked.

"Them too," Anderson replied, "And we're doing this because it needs to be a victory for the galaxy, not just a victory for the quarians and humans. Besides, we can use all the help we can get."

He was lying, at least in part, and Raan was perfectly aware of it. After all, she had been the one to confirm that his gambit could work. The Council couldn't be allowed to find out what it was, at least until after they had committed to the defeat of the geth themselves. They'd never accept the final settlement otherwise. They needed to share the glory, at least in part, after the real work had been done. Anderson had few doubts about it, and he was glad his political masters were even more certain.

Udina made a reappearance just as the galleries were filling up with journalists, his smirk unmoved by the meeting. It had went well or very badly, the latter meaning that the Council could be destroyed politically. At the cost of future military cooperation.

"Any problems?" Anderson asked.

"Quite the contrary, Admiral," Udina replied, "The Council have outdone even themselves."

The Councillors finally exited their waiting room to the side of their imposing balcony, casting long shadows from the glow of the nebula pouring in from the large window behind them. The asari clerk passed by and turned to address the Council.

"Donnel Udina, Ambassador of the Human Systems Alliance and the Human-Quarian Pact of Versailles, begs admission to session of the Council," the clerk declared, her voice carried by artificial means throughout the chamber, "Accompanying him are Rear-Admiral David Anderson, Naval Director of the Alliance Defence Intelligence Directorate, and Admiral Shala'Raan, Commanding Officer of the Quarian Patrol Fleets."

Murmurs in the galleries spread, as journalists made verbal reports and narrated the 'action' on camera. Anderson's eyebrows arched in surprise. He hadn't expected the pomp and ceremony. A formal session was extremely unusual, usually only happening once a year at the opening of Council terms. A quick glance to the Ambassador confirmed that it was a good thing. Udina was practically glowing with personal pride. Anderson relaxed a little.

"The Council recognises Donnel Udina and his companions," Councillor Tevos said, betraying no feelings, "Step forward and be heard."

"Let the games begin," Udina said quietly.

Anderson moved ahead of him, careful not to stray into his path, as all three of the delegates moved onto the speakers' rostra. The cameras followed, floating at what the journalists no doubt thought was a respectful enough distance. The temptation to reach out and swat them away was fairly overpowering to Anderson, but that would have made for poor theatre. Clearly, the intent was for a dignified spectacle.

"Before we begin, we extend our congratulations to Admiral Raan," Valern said, once they had stopped, "You are the first representative of the quarian people to appear before this Council formally in nearly three hundred years. I hope this will be the beginning of a new era of cooperation with the Citadel."

Anderson bit down a response of 'I bet you do' and dissembled with practised ease.

"We have our new allies to thank for it," Raan replied pointedly, implying that it was no thanks to the Council itself, "And I accept your congratulations."

Valern inclined his head, taking the reply at face value and turning his head to Tevos to continue.

"Why have you requested a formal session of the Council?" the asari councillor continued. Anderson couldn't help but admire her ability to remain impassive despite knowing exactly why it had been requested.

"After months of searching in the midst of a galactic war," Udina said, "On the outer Traverse world of Virmire, Commander Shepard has finally discovered proof that Saren is not only responsible for the geth assault on our colonies, but that he is in league with an even more dangerous AI. A sentient dreadnought. A Reaper. It was the Reapers that destroyed the Protheans."

"Yes, we have heard this charge before," Sparatus replied wearily, "Perhaps if the asari had found someone willing to meld with Shepard, we might have believed you before this point." Someone other than Doctor T'soni, the councillor meant. Anderson found the distinction pointless. The young archaeologist didn't strike him as a liar.

"Shepard's past is troubling," Tevos countered, "There are legitimate concerns that a meld would permanently traumatise any expert we might send into her mind." Which hadn't stopped T'soni, Anderson noted. She had bravely pursued the truth at great risk. No wonder Jane was infatuated.

"Present your evidence, Ambassador," Valern added, keeping the session on track.

Udina indicated for Anderson. Ignoring the councillor's stares, he moved to the data console and inserted the chip containing Shepard's combat telemetry. It took a few moments to find the right data, the Council had insisted on a full copy rather than an edited recording, but moving the playthrough to the appropriate time was no bother. Anderson brought the large holoprojectors on both sides of the Council balcony to life and the Commander's helmet camera footage began playing.

It began with Shepard entering the compound by Mako, the sound of combat in the distance echoing through the speakers.

A conversation with Haider over the comms revealed that an asari collaborator had been captured, and that she had been working on mind control of all things. This caused a loud stir among the reporters, especially the asari ones. Good, Anderson thought, let them be disturbed.

The comms chatter died out. Talk about the genophage, Anderson knew. The original audio had been altered to remove the suggestion that Urdnot Wrex would go back to his homeworld to start a new political movement. And that salarians had been taken captive by the Alliance. It wasn't the time for either particular shitstorm.

The Commander ordered Tali to fix an elevator, the last obstacle on the way to Saren.

Anderson looked to Raan, and found what he expected. The Admiral's hand was laying across her collar, as she watched what humans would consider her godchild at work. Pride then, he decided.

The moment was interrupted by Saren and his deep timbre, garbled slightly by the use of the intercom. There was no great shock when he more or less admitted that the geth had been his work, the assumption had spread as the Alliance leaked more and more information about Saren's activities and assets. There was a little more at the fact he had been in possession of a Prothean beacon.

"Goddess," Tevos exhaled, in a brief moment of weakness. Even she knew the horrific possibilities of knowledge it might contain in the hands of a madman like Saren.

The beacon flared to life, grabbing Shepard and killing the feed.

"Is that all?" Sparatus disparaged with glee, "We will need more than..."

The video resumed with a clatter, as the feed resumed, the beacon's work done.

"Patience, councillor," Anderson said, "The best is yet to come." The good councillor knew very well the vid wasn't over. An infuriated hiss escaped from Sparatus regardless, but whatever retort was coming found itself overcome.

Sovereign spoke.

Anderson had heard the voice before, but somehow, the Council's sound system and the acoustics of the great hall changed it. It seemed more like the Devil himself was addressing not only Shepard but every person in the galaxy. Between the deep, terrifying voice of the Reaper and the Normandy crew's defiant responses, you could have heard a pin drop. The entire room was enthralled. The Councillors, the diplomats, the clerks, the journalists, even the keepers seemed to pause what they were doing.

The silence continued even after the conversation ended. The form of Sovereign itself raising itself from the ocean and blasting the compound with its main weapon was met with nothing. Saren was briefly seen in the distance, boarding a geth dropship. Finally, the gigantic eye swivelled towards the camera, towards Shepard, examining what it saw, before finally disappearing in a cloud of steam.

The pertinent part of the recording over, Anderson slapped the console to stop it. He knew this was the part where he was supposed to curse and shout, to demand the Council to act. Looking at the councillors themselves however, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not even Tevos looked comfortable in her place. If her jaw locked any harder, she might have broken her teeth. Valern looked vaguely like he was drowning, his mouth moving as if speaking but no sound coming out.

They hadn't seen it personally before, Anderson realised. Pity took hold for a moment. Udina was not so merciful.

"As you can see, Councillors," he said, his steady tones not breaking for an instant, "The Reaper speaks for itself, and it is its own creature. There is no way that Saren would have given up the opportunity to kill Shepard. That machine had the Commander right in its sights, yet did not fire. I am sure that the Special Tasks Group and the Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance have already verified the authenticity of this recording as well. The communication was not some trick of Saren, and it is not fabricated."

He paused, daring one of the three galactic leaders to challenge him on that. None did.

"In light of this information," Udina continued, "The Systems Alliance and the Versailles Pact _demand _that the Asari Republics, Salarian Union and Turian Hierarchy join the war against the Reapers and their geth thralls. If you do not, we will consider all defence and colonial obligations under our Treaty of Accession to be null and void immediately."

That broke the silence of the hall, as the furious whispering and quiet commentary resumed, filling the space. No one had levelled a _demand_ at the Citadel Council since the Krogan had issued an ultimatum over the colony of Lusia.

Anderson's eyes nearly bulged out of his head as Sparatus stood forward, not sharply as if to rebuke the Ambassador, but slowly and carefully.

"After consultation with the Primarch of Palaven," Sparatus began, "I have come to the conclusion that the current situation is untenable."

Udina glanced at Anderson, the ambiguity not helping either of their nerves.

"We can no longer stand by," Sparatus continued, "The Turian Thirtieth, Thirty-First and Thirty-Second Fleets are mustering, and will join the forces of the Versailles Pact in the Perseus Veil within fifty hours."

"Two asari fleets and a single salarian fleet will join them, and they will place themselves under the command of your Admiral Hackett," Tevos said, "The assembled evidence is now incontrovertible. Consider this a declaration of war against the Geth Collective and whatever the beings known as Reapers call themselves."

"Furthermore, our forces elsewhere shall mobilise into high defensive positions," said Valern, steepling his hands, "If Sovereign is just one of many such sentient starships, we must be prepared. All nexus relay jumpzones are to be defended. We understand that you have tasked your Fifth Fleet and the Quarian Home Fleet to defend Arcturus and the Verge. The Salarian Union will mirror our forces' deployment with Rear-Admiral Shepard and Admiral Zaal'Koris' own accordingly."

"It is done," Sparatus said slowly, before eyeing Anderson, "You have your way, Rear-Admiral. Let's hope to all the spirits that the AI was lying about the scale of the threat."

"I do not believe it was," Anderson replied, "But I am certain we can win out in the end."

"I hope to share your enthusiasm," Tevos said, "In the mean time, we have much work to do. This session of Council is adjourned."

The Councillors filed out, back into their waiting room,

Udina brushed past, pacing away towards the exit at a great pace with the forest of cameras in tow, leaving Anderson with Raan to depart the chamber unmolested. They rejoined their honour guards, still in parade order to either side of the staircase leading to the chamber.

"That went better than I expected," Raan said quietly, "They seem to have made up their mind before the session even began."

"We forced their hand," Anderson said, "But I get the feeling that we would still have to do the hard fighting."

"That is why we have the plan," said Raan, stopping and turning, "We must implement it immediately, before the turians arrive at the staging zones."

"Preferably before their contribution would mean anything," Anderson nodded, "It has to be our victory, first and foremost."

"I shall return to my fleet," Raan said, "Order your deterrence forces to begin the first stage."

"Good luck, Admiral," Anderson said, offering his hand.

"Thank you, Admiral," Raan replied, giving it a single shake.

The quarian hurried away at a jog, sending looks of indignation through the scattering diplomats in her wake, her marines following along.

Anderson watched until he couldn't see her. The final battle was to begin, and much would depend on the competence of the people leading the assault on Tikkun. Raan being among them. He shook his head at the gamble he was about to take on behalf of humanity, not to mention every other species. The necessity only just overcame his instinct against taking such a risk.

"Sergeant, I need a secure line to the _Churubusco_," he said at last, moving towards the elevators, "And after that, Consul deBankole."

"Yes, sir!" the sergeant replied, offering an omnitool. Anderson took it and entered the elevator alone, all the better to have privacy for one of the most important calls in galactic history.

* * *

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, the setup for the final battles is done. Ilos, Rannoch, here we come._

_**Mik3k**: __It always confused me too, how Shepard seemed to run into all sorts of crucial pieces of information yet never had anything to record it with. Given her role as an N7 recon trooper in this canon, I felt it entirely appropriate that all her activities be recorded either way._

_**Nightbrainzz**: __I couldn't envisage a scenario where Haider would let the genophage be destroyed, it's simply too useful a political tool to throw away at such a crucial time._

_There is indeed a battle of Ilos cooking, though the Terminus will have to wait until the Battlefield 2184 short stories and Battlefield 2185._

_**KnightofHolyLight**: __Thanks very much!_

_**General-joseph-dickson**: __Cheers!_

_**OBSERVER01**: __Haider's purpose in life is to be devious, admittedly._

_**OMAC001**: __I hope this answers your curiosity._

_**Necronicus**: __I thought I felt it was fairly obvious why Haider was at the front; so she could formally claim any tasty Reaper tech left behind by Saren. Her job is to understand humanity's enemies, and with her background as an air assault commander, she doesn't believe she can do that sitting around at the back. That said, she didn't expect to be in the direct firing line, hence why she wasn't in the last chapter._

_I suggest reading the Anhur chapters of my Wars of the Systems Alliance story to get a feel for what Haider's all about, if you're interested._

_**Chronus1326**: She isn't her commanding officer, directly._

_Haider Senior is Army director of the Defence Intelligence Directorate, a combined political-military position. Haider Junior is a lieutenant of the Fallschirmjagertruppe, which has its own commander. It is part of the First Legion, sure, but while the directors of the DID are the supreme commanders of the First Legion, the functional command of all special forces is retained by national governments, hence why the French Foreign Legion is still a thing as shown in an earlier chapter. DID command is there simply to facilitate joint or secret operations. There is no true combined special forces command for the Alliance Army, the same way the Troop Commands are still segregated by national origin. The Navy is different, it has the N5 divisions, N6s and N7s, but it's a much more cosmopolitan organisation by necessity._

_Normally, Jack isn't anywhere near Haider in operational terms, and she is only technically Haider's subordinate at a very great distance._

_Beyond that, there are other factors. Jack is an adoptive daughter only a little over ten years younger, she was practically an adult when the legal process was undertaken. While that might not matter normally, Haider is Haider. She has extensive political contacts, including being a personal friend of Dennison, one of the sitting consuls, having foiled an ultraleft plot to have her assassinated before she became consul. She began her rise to the rank she is at now through putting herself at great personal risk in the same campaign that saw DeRuyter rise to her current position as Army Chief of Staff. She sits at an unique confluence of political and military power, which is supposed to be the point._

_Frankly, Haider can do whatever the fuck she wants as long as it isn't damaging to Alliance interests as determined by DeRuyter or Dennison. I'm fairly sure I've made that bit clear in the story._

_**Guest**: Cerberus are not simply a terrorist organisation in this canon. Read the Cerberus Codex entry chapter. They are effectively the military of a coalition of colonies in the Traverse and Terminus. _

_Nor does Shepard trust them. She sympathises with their patriotic ideals, but that's not the same thing as trusting them. _


	41. Chapter 34: Indulgences of War

**Chapter 34: Indulgences of War**

The doors to the hospital leisure room opened with a slight hiss. Behind them were Alliance soldiers, huddled together on couches around coffee tables, each group enthralled with their own conversations. It took a while, but slowly, eyes began turning to the entrance, the sight of a shaved head, tattooed skin and heavy pistols being impossible to ignore for long. Well, that and the lieutenant's bars. Tattooed on too, of course. Almost all of the patients were Alliance enlisted personnel, with a few gunnery-chiefs thrown in.

Jennifer Haider grinned widely at all the attention, the Psychotic Biotic in full form.

"What are you fuckers looking at!" she shouted with glee, "Eyes front!"

The sea of eyes flinched and winced, before swimming away to look absolutely anywhere else. The roof, the floor, each other, the vid-screens on the walls, anywhere. Her reputation preceded her. She had already destroyed three plate glass windows during her treatment. A few remained looking, gazes trained on her body. The brave and the horny. Mostly guys, but not entirely. There was hope after all.

Jennifer snorted, triumphant that she was still the cat among the hens. She would have pounced, grabbed what she wanted, but the cast and sling began itching again, getting in the way. Irritated that her fun had been interrupted, she pulled the small piece of metal she had ripped from her bed and scratched herself under the cast. She gasped lightly with relief. The sound entertained those still watching too.

A sharp, piercing whistle came from the far left of the room. Surprised that anyone would dare to do such a thing, she swung her head in the direction of the noise. The soldiers and naval ratings seemed to wither under her stare, but none seemed to give away who had said it.

"Lieutenant Haider," said a voice behind the crowd, calling her.

Intrigued, Jennifer strode down the aisles between the couches. The relief that her attention was concentrated on a person in particular rippled in her wake. Something she'd have to fix when she got done with whatever asshole thought he could summon her with a whistle like a dog.

She found the couches in the corner occupied by two people. An Alliance lieutenant and a turian, both of whom shouldn't have been there. They sat opposite the vidscreens on either wall, and unlike the rest that showed the New England Patriots playing the Anhur Eagles, their screens were tuned to the Alliance News Network. Some documentary by the Wong lady.

Jennifer bristled. They seemed like real tightasses, if that was how they spent their time.

"And who the fuck are you?" she said, crossing her arms, "How do you know my name?"

"Like the entire hospital hasn't heard of what you did to Floor B," the turian said, flanging voice low with mockery, "Must be nice to have family who can get you out of trouble."

"That's none of your business," Jennifer growled back, clenching her fist and flaring her biotics across her good arm. The turian didn't budge an inch. She ground her teeth in frustration.

"It isn't," the turian replied, "But you have to admit, anyone else who acts like you do wouldn't have even made it into the Alliance military, never mind avoided arrest for criminal damage of windows. Not without help."

Jennifer couldn't help but admit the truth of that, letting her biotic display fizzle out. The debt she owed to Mama Haider was undeniable. She wouldn't have even known her real name, or met her biological parents, never mind getting a posting. She probably would have ended up imprisoned in some maximum security hellhole, playing a daily game of dodge or murder the rapists. That didn't mean she was going to let the turian get away free. Time to take a page out of her foster mother's book. Time to remind him just how much pull she had.

"I can get out of worse," she smiled, "I could fling you from the roof of this place or tear your head off, and no one would do a fucking thing to stop me."

The turian chuckled at the joke at his expense, almost daring her to try, but the look in his eyes and his readied body language betrayed at least a hint of nervousness. He was watching for any sudden aggressive move. All turians were soldiers.

"I would," said the Alliance lieutenant, "Do a fucking thing to stop you, I mean."

Jennifer snorted again, looking over the man a second time. Dark hair, handsome face, well built, and a biotic according to the scars on the back of his neck. He wasn't nervous at all, barely paying that much attention to her movements. Ballsy, she thought, very good. She felt a stirring. She had found her plaything.

"Oh yeah?" she teased, letting her tone become more friendly, "Bet you couldn't lift that cup of coffee, never mind stop me from tossing the space chicken there like a beer bottle."

"I'm an L2," replied the other lieutenant, lounging back onto the couch, "Try me."

He had gotten the message, and was flirting back. Great. "If you know my name," Jennifer said, leaning over towards him, "You know that wouldn't make a difference."

"Try me," the man repeated, closing his eyes, "Or don't. Some of us have things to do."

"Like sitting on our asses," the turian added sourly, "Not going on the mission that will save the galaxy, not bringing in the most wanted criminal in history, not stopping sentient dreadnoughts from killing us all."

Jennifer straightened up again, confused. These guys weren't normal. She had pegged the turian for a cop almost as soon as he had opened his mouth, and the biotic lieutenant had to be First Legion too, just like her. The turian's complaint gave away that they were in with the Shepard bitch. But if they were, why were they screwing around in a hospital. Both seemed relatively healthy, unlike the others.

"You know Shepard, right?" she asked, "If you're crying about that massive prick Saren."

"We're part of Shepard's crew," the lieutenant replied, "I'm Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, this is Officer Garrus Vakarian. And you're Jennifer Haider, unless Shepard's description of you was completely off."

"You do stand out," Garrus said flatly.

"So why are you two here?" Jennifer asked.

"We're waiting for news," said Alenko, pointing at the vid-screens, "Shepard gave us a heads up that something big is about to happen about an hour ago."

Jennifer raised her eyebrows. That was interesting, especially as Mama hadn't said a word when they had spoken at around the same time, but it wasn't what she had meant. "No, I meant why are you two here, instead of charging off to gut Saren with Shepard and the others? Can't keep up with the krogan?"

The two exchanged glances.

"We're injured," Garrus said, "Just like you, I see."

"Yeah, got caught in an explosion. That Sovereign thing tore into a tank I was standing a little too close to," said Jennifer, holding up her arm, "Broke my arm in three places dodging it."

"Biotic charge?" Kaidan inquired.

Jennifer nodded, smiling. "Can you do that?"

"Yes, I can," replied Kaidan, a little too quickly.

"But not far enough for it to be worth a shit," Jennifer completed, "Don't think L2s can go more than two metres without screwing their insides up anyway. Can't blame you for that." She snapped her mouth shut, realising she was being nicer to the man than she had wanted to be.

"True," Kaidan said.

"Both of you don't look like you've been through the churn," Jennifer continued.

"I was supposed to be discharged early," Garrus said, "Yesterday."

"I'm supposed to go today," Kaidan added, "We were pushing the doctors to let us, but there's no point now. Shepard found Saren, and she doesn't have time to come back to the Citadel."

Jennifer laughed. "I know that feeling," she said, "You're pissed that you're stuck here. So am I. Why'd you think I threw that desk?"

"Arrogance?" Garrus mused, "Stupidity?"

"Boredom," Jennifer replied, tapping the butt of one of her pistols "It's killing me. Perhaps next time, I'll fill you full of holes instead. It would be a little more fun."

"How did you even get them to let you keep your weapons?" Garrus said, shaking his head, "Not even an Alliance Major-General could have pulled that off."

"Oh, that was bribery," Jennifer replied, waving her free hand flippantly, "The hospital administrator is corrupt." The turian narrowed his eyes, and mumbled something angrily. Interesting.

"I can get you yours, if you want," she added, "Killing the helpless isn't much fun, even if you do throw them around."

Garrus' mandibles spread into a smile, revealing his full set of sharp teeth. "I'm not helpless," he said, "But I'd appreciate if you did."

Jennifer smiled back. The turian had balls too. Too bad he was ugly as sin.

"There has to be better ways to entertain yourselves," Kaidan cut in, rubbing the back of his neck, "Garrus, you know all you're going to do is calibrate your damn rifle, right?"

"It'll make me feel better," the turian shrugged back.

Jennifer spotted her chance. "You're right though," she said, "There are better ways to entertain ourselves." She grabbed her fellow lieutenant by the collar, pulled him to his feet. He followed willingly, the familiar hazy look across his eyes as they traced over her. She had him. She had to restrain herself from laughing in triumph. Conquering a mighty hero of the Normandy was too much fun.

The turian didn't interfere, or even say another word. "I'll get your weapons for you!" she called back, for good measure. An appreciative grunt returned.

Jennifer Haider led the now faux-reluctant Alenko by the collar to the doors, ignoring the onlookers. She paused only for a moment, as breaking news flashed across all the vid screens at once.

_VERSAILLES PACT BEGINS ASSAULT ON TIKKUN _

_HUMAN AND QUARIAN FLEETS ENGAGED WITH GETH OVER RANNOCH_

_COUNCIL REINFORCEMENTS NOT READY_

A great cheer went up, as the injured and wounded toasted the success of the attack. With coffee. A groan erupting from her, Jennifer hurried the distracted Alenko along. Talk about missing the party.

Now she definitely had to get laid.

* * *

The geth fleets had been entirely unprepared for the nasty surprises cooked up by the Xen woman. The DID had fed her captured geth data since the beginning of the war, and with the signing of the Pact, she had the resources to use it. The result was a sort of flashbang, that confused geth scanners and bombarded them with junk LADAR, RADAR and heat signals.

Getting through the relay to Tikkun had been even more easy than it had been to Haestrom. A probe with a demand for unconditional surrender went through first, with guarantees that the geth would not be annihilated if they complied. The laws of the Alliance made such offers compulsory before every major engagement, one of the results of the fallout from Torfan. No answer was received. The quarians' countermeasures were delivered by Scylla missile, and the Quarian First Heavy and First Patrol fleets led the way. The geth withdrew to orbits around the planets, as seven Alliance Fleets and two more Quarian fleets streamed in to join the fight.

Yet Hackett couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Xen herself was not making things better. She had been assigned to the bridge of the SSV _Thor_ as liaison to the Admiral-in-Chief, to him. As the battle moved away from the relays and towards the planets, he wondered if it had been a deliberate attempt to get her out of someone's hair. Maybe Raan or Han'Gerrel. She responded to any good news with strange moans of pleasure, and to any bad news by rattling off sharp orders. More than once, he had to confirm or amend commands to the startled command staff. The other quarians even seemed amused by her behaviour, which wasn't endearing them to Hackett.

He was in the middle of contemplating some way of getting rid of her, when she spoke.

"We have them on the run!" Xen said, "I told the Admiralty that the geth were no match for us. We should press our attack!" At least she had the good sense to direct the declaration at the person who was actually in charge.

Hackett turned his iciest glare at her. "That isn't the plan," he said, "And you know it."

The quarian officer crossed her arms. "Events have overtaken the plan," Xen complained, just as icy, "We have the decisive advantage here. What need do we have of Anderson's gambit when the geth are falling before us!"

He paused. It was hard to deny the facts, the Admiral had to admit. The holograms painted a clear picture. The synthetics were losing badly, and he saw that it wasn't just Xen's tricks. Every geth group and ship seemed less capable than what had been encountered before; their point defences seemed less capable of repelling Alliance torpedo attacks, their targeting was noticeably even with the human and quarian ships' own, and their coordinated counterattacks were a lot more predictable than usual.

Hackett felt a suspicion itch in his brain, but couldn't quite solidify it. "Chief-Engineer, I appreciate your input," he said at last, "But there is something we are missing here. The Alliance have fought geth fleets across our own space for months now, and they never caved as easily as this. Either it is a strategy of some kind, or there is some variable we aren't seeing."

"The variable we're not seeing is that we have superior forces!" Xen countered, "If there is some trap, it is best we spring it now while we still have that advantage."

Hackett opened his mouth, to beat the insubordinate quarian with the chain of command, but was interrupted.

"Admiral!" another quarian exclaimed, pointing at the main projector, "Look!"

Most of the room already was, Hackett noted. He followed them, and turned to the hologram. The geth contact icons, glowing angry red hues marked with quarian numerals, were disappearing from contact. Replaced briefly by FTL signatures before blinking out of sight.

"What the hell?" Hackett thought aloud.

"They're running?" Xen asked, "Abandoning Rannoch? That makes no sense!"

"It does if they're looking to preserve their forces," Hackett replied, "But Rannoch is studded with their servers. I knew the geth disregarded their losses, but this goes far beyond what we've seen before. How many geth are being left behind?"

"Many," said Xen, "So it is a trap. We're supposed to follow them. Anderson can't pull off his part of the plan you're so in love with if we're spread over half the cluster, it wouldn't work. Rannoch can be retaken later, the geth don't need it."

"Then we don't fall for their plan," Hackett said, "Comms! Have the N7s completed their missions?"

"We received confirmation that the landing zones have been cleared of GARDIAN defences," said the comms lieutenant, "The quarian guides did the honours."

"Good," Hackett continued, "Signal Field Marshal Augusta. Inform her that Troop Command Columbia may begin landing her titans immediately. Psyops, stream music to all comms beacons in the Alliance fleets and prepare to play it in the clear."

"Aye sir!"

The hologram shifted again, to zoom in closer to Rannoch itself. The planetary-assault cruisers were making haste to the drop zones, and in less than a minute, the tiny pinpoints of light displayed the titans as they began their controlled falls into the atmosphere. The Field Marshal had been waiting for the moment. Hackett nodded, thanking the gods for her aggression in this instance.

"Music ready, sir!"

"Music?" Xen asked, looking up at him, "Why do you want to play music for the geth? They're machines, they'll hardly appreciate it."

"Play it!" Hackett ordered.

The strings and choir began, proclaiming the end of the world, begging the Lord Above for mercy for their souls. The Admiral had chosen it personally, to convey to the geth the full meaning of the conflict they had brought upon the galaxy. The quarians looked to each other uneasily, almost certainly unfamiliar with the piece, the choir's lamentations in Latin haunting them. Latin not being a language integrated into neural translation software. Hackett couldn't help but give a thin, small smile at their apprehension. The quarians were the closest organic culture to the geth by a long margin.

"What is this?" asked Xen, shaking her head, "It is... terrifying."

"It should be," Hackett replied, "This is Dies Irae, from Verdi's Requiem."

He eyed the quarian.

"Dies Irae means 'The Day of Wrath'" he added grimly.

Xen stared for a moment, and then glanced at the hologram, as Alliance Army icons began sprouting across Rannoch's surface.

"Appropriate," she said, before remaining silent.

Hackett breathed easier. He had found something to shut her up, at least for a little while. The battle was going as well as it could be. There was only one thing that he could think of that could undo humanity's righteous vengeance now. The same thing that had started the war in the first place.

"Godspeed, Shepard," he muttered, "Stop the Reaper."

* * *

The mixed collection of ships floated in holographic form, forming a rainbow collage of IFF signatures nearby the larger graphical representation of the Mu Relay. Blue for the Alliance ships from Patrol Group 10, Fifth Fleet. Purple for the asari frigate squadron from their Second Fleet. Yellow for the salarians' own stealth frigates and 'spy ships', inferior to the Normandy but still better than most. Green for the turian 79th, a legendary flotilla with a history going back to the Krogan Rebellions. Their commanders appeared below, the conference call to coordinate their next move in progress. A whole fleet's worth of ships from every major species, assembled to watch for Saren and Sovereign.

Except they had failed in their task, as their lengthy collective report had explained. Hence the meeting.

Liara watched Shepard rub her eyes in frustration, as the salarian commodore continued her excuse-making in strangely confident tones. To some, she might just appear tired, but to Liara, the Commander was quite obviously becoming angry. Very angry.

"So you see, Spectre," said the salarian, "We have no dreadnoughts, and not enough fighters. We had no choice but to..."

Shepard held up one hand, keeping the other across her face. Unsurprisingly, the salarian snapped her mouth shut. Audibly. Liara smiled slightly. She wondered if that reaction had been down to the Commander's status or her history as a soldier. Before realising that she never found such things amusing before. Her slight smile died.

"You had one job," Shepard said, holding up a finger, "Watch the relay, report back. You failed to do that. Now we don't know how many ships Saren has with him, or if Sovereign went with them. The Alliance Navy has been searching for Sovereign's fleet ever since Eden Prime, and just when we get a break, you screw it up. Now we don't know if they went to Ilos or not. Saren could have gone alone, or we might have the whole geth fleet to deal with. I don't like the idea of either possibility."

"Sovereign was far too powerful, not to mention the geth ships along with it," replied the Alliance Group-Captain with a grimace, "I came this close to losing two cruisers in about as many minutes. I can't speak for anyone else, but I withdrew to save my ships. If I had stayed, you still wouldn't know what the geth fleet was up to, except my people and I would be dead in vacuum right now too."

Liara felt the animosity, even through the medium of the hologram. This officer did not like being talked down to by an inferior, and one with less spatial combat experience. She was of lesser rank than all of the others, in fact. Shepard was only a Commander in the Alliance. But she was a Spectre too. Liara knew that the officer was making a huge mistake.

"I didn't say you had to die trying," Shepard growled back, "You didn't even leave a probe or a Kodiak behind to watch. I should be taking you all back to the Citadel to face charges of incompetence and cowardice in the face of the enemy."

The Alliance group-captain withered under that, which Liara found strangely satisfying. Another anomaly, she thought.

"But are not," said Rear-Admiral T'gila, "So if I may be so bold as to ask why we are being berated by you, instead of getting on with what needs to be done?" Liara watched her fellow asari's gaze. No surprise that it would be her that would stand up to a Spectre. Asari military figures as highly ranked as T'gila were often dismissive of such operatives and their priorities. Liara had met many of them in her childhood years. She waited with a heavy anticipation to see how Shepard would respond.

The Commander finally removed her hand from her face, revealing a face sharp not with wrath, but with determination. Eyes slightly wider than usual and ablaze in green, lips tight, brow smooth.

"I am berating you for a very simple reason," she said, "You have committed a sin, and you are going to _atone_ for it. I'm commandeering all of your flotillas. Together, we are going to Ilos, we are going to find out what exactly Saren and Sovereign have planned, and we are going to stop them. If we don't, it may mean the end of the galaxy as we know it."

Silence reigned, as objections to the plan swept over the faces of the officers. But not their lips. Virmire had changed everything. Shepard could use the power to requisition whatever forces she liked freely, with the full backing of the Council. The officers knew it too.

"Perspective, Matriarch," Shepard added, "I would have expected you to have it, a woman of your years."

T'gila stared back, rather hatefully Liara thought, but inclined her head once.

"Very well, Commander," she said, "We are ready to transition on your order. But we will require navigation data on Ilos. It isn't charted, correct?"

Shepard turned to Liara, her expression softening.

"You can get us there, right?" she asked.

"Of course," Liara replied, "Ilos is less than twelve hours from the Mu relay's twin. Without the exact system, we would have to search the entire cluster and whatever other clusters that relay might lead to, of which there may be as many as five. I shall transmit the data." She activated her omnitool, and transferred the files to the Normandy's VI for transmission. A small beep from Pressly's console indicated that it had been passed on successfully, and the man himself gave the strange thumbs up sign that some humans used.

"Thank you, Miss T'soni," Shepard smiled.

"You are welcome," Liara replied quickly, conscious of the gaze of the asari admiral all of a sudden. Luckily, Shepard dove back into it, saving any awkwardness at her obvious affection.

"General Myrtanus, you have ground forces attached to your flotilla, right?"

"A brigade from the 99th Marine Division, yes," replied the turian general.

"Good," Shepard replied, "Inform them that they'll be leading the charge on the ground assault. Whatever Sovereign and the traitor want is most likely on the planet itself, in the ruins."

"Excellent," the turian said, "They'll be glad to hear it." Liara sympathised with the idea. After all, Saren had betrayed her mother too. No doubt the turian soldiers wanted to pay Saren back for dragging their species through the dirt.

"Begin relay transit immediately," Shepard concluded, "We'll proceed directly to Ilos from there."

"Understood, ma'am," said the Alliance group-captain.

The call ended, the forms of the officers blinking out and the hologram readjusting to put the sensor data of the surrounding space back into middle of the viewing area. Shepard sighed, and collapsed into the nearest seat quickly, the empty briefing room.

Liara sat down beside her. "That went well," she said, "They gave in as quickly as we had hoped."

"Commander, I have to say I enjoyed that," said Joker's voice over the comms, "A fully multicultural telling of who the boss is. I didn't think it was possible to piss off a turian, an asari, a salarian and a human all at the same time, but your legend continues."

Shepard let a single laugh burst out. "Joker, when are you not going to drop eaves," she said.

"About the same time he ceases watching us on the deck cameras," Liara frowned.

"Hey, it's not my fault," Joker objected, "I was looking for her and the VI brings up the live feed if she's outside your... her quarters. You really shouldn't do that in the mess, even Chakwas was watching..."

Liara's face began feeling warm, as she remembered the events in question. Looking up at the ceiling seemed to help.

"We were just holding hands!" Shepard complained.

"You were pulling her," Joker laughed.

"Flight Lieutenant, we're going to have words later," Shepard growled, "VI, disable comms and camera feeds to the briefing room. Lock the doors too. Command authorisation Shepard-Beta-Four."

"Acknowledged," the VI chimed, cutting Joker off from his eavesdropping.

Relieved of Joker's interference, Liara eyed Shepard. The Commander wasted no time, slouching into the nearest seat and relaxing for a moment. Shepard never was the most ladylike. Liara sat down, crossing her legs, and waited for the woman to speak. The door had been locked for a reason.

"So we're finally doing it," Shepard thought aloud, "I thought Virmire was going to be the end, but this seems much more … meaningful."

The Commander straightened up and looked over. An opinion was wanted, Liara knew. One that couldn't be asked of subordinates. Luckily, she had one on hand.

"We know Sovereign is the master, we did not know it before," she replied, "Saren is a person. No matter how evil he was, he is mortal in the same way you are. If Sovereign's boasts are not lies, it has been committing acts of genocide for millions of years. The Protheans could not stop the Reapers, yet we may do so."

"It does change things, doesn't it?" said Shepard, more lightheartedly, "When the enemy is a dreadnought with an ego the size of the galaxy... and a bloodlust to match."

"Ego of that size is a weakness," Liara noted hopefully, "One we can exploit."

"I would prefer stupidity," Shepard replied, "Or a lack of might to back its words... but I guess the thing's overconfidence has already caused it to make one mistake. It had us dead to rights back at Saren's lab."

"But it left you alive," Liara finished, "And you will make it regret that decision. We both will." In fact, she planned to enjoy the moment she got revenge on the traitor and his AI overlord.

Laughter bubbled out of Shepard. "You really have adjusted to this," she chuckled, "When we met, you were an academic. A hot one, but still."

"I guess I have," Liara said, "I have learned more about how the galaxy really is in the past six months than I had in the previous sixty years, I think."

"It's my fault," Shepard said, shaking off the laughter, "Between the fighting, the stuff with your mother... the melds..." Her face darkened, almost instantly.

Liara examined Shepard more closely, brushing her hand across a pale cheek. She saw the concern. The Commander thought she had ruined a naïve, innocent girl who was barely an adult to begin with. Dragged into the maelstrom of a galactic war and through the brutality locked up in her mind. There was just one problem with the theory. Liara had volunteered.

But Shepard's consideration stirred the young asari, and made her think about volunteering for something else.

"Shepard..." Liara started, "We have quite some time before we get to Ilos..."

The Commander immediately recovered from her depression, and grinned with mischief. "That's true," she said, "And I'm feeling so tired." An exaggerated and obviously fake yawn followed, arms outstretched before falling to either side of the asari's head.

Liara breathed an exasperated laugh at the snappy enthusiasm. Sex for pleasure's own sake wasn't entirely her intent, though she saw now how it might seem so to Shepard.

"Shepard, I want something more," she said, "You are... an amazing person, and I am not entirely sure I am worthy of you, but ..."

"You are," Shepard insisted.

"Then I want to meld... more deeply, this time," Liara blurted out.

Shepard paused, her eyes flickering, searching for what that meant and widened when the idea came across. "You don't mean..." she said slowly.

"Not tonight, necessarily," Liara assured her, "But... in future... I do not believe I will ever meet someone I love more. And if you die, then..."

Shepard remained silent, her face blank as she considered the proposal. Liara felt butterflies rise from her stomach, her throat close, her mind race. The regret surged forward. She had pushed too quickly. She was only a maiden! It was too early! Shepard didn't want it!

"Okay," Shepard said, "We're probably going to be dead tomorrow, and there's no one I'd rather do... that with. "

Liara felt the unpleasant weight on her chest melt away, and her heart began drumming loudly for a different reason entirely.

* * *

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter was originally the start of the Ilos chapter, but it grew into its own thing so I separated it._

_I'm aware that many of you aren't a fan of the Liara romance. This chapter sets up a key part of the next story in this series, Battlefield 2185, which I hope to start publishing about the same time Andromeda comes out. Besides its critical importance to the greater plot, Torfan-Shepard without a lover would be pretty hard to humanise as a character... pretty much just a sociopathic killer, and thus would be boring._

_But, I promise you all that the next chapter gets us straight back into why this story exists; _

_Humanity Fuck Yeah-level violence._

_**General-joseph-dickson**: __Thanks for your loyalty over these years, we're almost done!_

_**KnightOfHolyLight**: __Hate to keep you on the cliffhanger, geth-wise, but I'm glad you liked the last chapter nonetheless._

_**Coco Discordia**: __This chapter reveals a little about the situation, I think... But more on that later._

_**AmethystPone**: __You're right about ME2 being derailed... and I can't wait to share it with you all in Battlefield 2185._

_**aDarkOne**: __Shouldn't you be in the Moscow Metro, with a nickname like that? _

_Most of humanity's political leadership in 2183 are of the belief that increasing humanity's power until it sits at the top is necessary for survival. If you're wondering why that is, read the accompanying Wars of the Systems Alliance story on my profile. Haider, being one of the most powerful humans in the galaxy, naturally has helped shape that due to her own history. Again, read the side story. Difference between the Illusive Man and Haider is that she wouldn't genocide the aliens out of convenience, and she isn't indoctrinated. Haider would prefer humanity to rule more or less as the Citadel does, through a combination of economic codependence, military might and what you might call awe._

**_Xolsis_**_: Magnificent indeed. I look forward to reading your review._

_**OBSERVER01**: __Merci._

_**Commissar Critical**: __Anti-Canadianism is heresy! *BLAM*_

_**Eric**: __The SCAR 11 will be featured in the First Contact chapters of Wars of the Systems Alliance. I'm this close to asking people to skim some of that before reading this, because the backstory is nicely fleshed out and reveals a lot about why things are the way they are. My way of avoiding excessive exposition, I guess._

_But yes, the EU were dicks._


End file.
